Tears of Gold
by racejunkie
Summary: Bella is sent to the Colonies for an arranged marriage. What she did not expect was to fall into the hands of a pirate crew, much less their captain. Will she be rescued? Will she want to be?
1. Chapter 1

"Why in the world did this happen to me?" Bella moaned for the thousandth time. She stared at herself in the mirror and wondered how her dad could do this to her. A beautiful girl, with long, dark mahogany hair and deep brown eyes stared back at her. Bella went back to her bed and let the swaying motion of the ocean lull her into a trance. She remembered the conversation she had with her parents that triggered this nightmare…

_**Flashback**_

"_Isabella! Please come down to the library! Your mother and I need to speak with you. I'm not going to ask you again!" Lord Swan warned Bella. Bella was in her room with her best friend, Alice. They were busy discussing the latest fashions coming out of France, or at least Alice was doing all the talking while Bella was feigning interest. She loved Alice to death, but she didn't really care what was in fashion and what wasn't. Bella dressed to be comfortable much to the chagrin of her mother, Lady Renee, and Alice. But she knew how much Alice loved fashion and since she loved Alice, she pretended to love fashion too._

_Bella grabbed Alice's hand and started down the long staircase to the library. This was one of her favorite rooms in the house. She spent many hours in here, getting lost in the many books her father had on the shelves. Not many girls found the type of books her father had interesting, but Bella loved them. She took in the dark look on her father's face and swallowed loudly…oops!_

"_What took you so long, Isabella? I've been calling for you," Lord Swan asked her with an impatient look in his eye. Lady Renee placed her hand on his arm to calm him down, but it didn't work too well. She knew father and daughter were so much alike, both quick to get angry. She also knew Bella wasn't going to take her father's news very well. _

"_Sorry Father! Alice and I got caught up in fashions and I truly didn't hear you," Bella replied to him with her face down. She peeked at him through her eyelashes to see if her father accepted her apology. He looked at her and sighed._

"_Isabella, your mother and I have some news to share with you. As you know, it is our responsibility to make sure you are taken care of. It is our duty to arrange a marriage between you and a man of proper stature…" He stopped right there to look at Bella and how she was reacting to his news. As he noticed the narrowed eyes and tight angry lips, he knew this wasn't going to be good._

"_How could you do this to me? Don't I get a say in who I spend the rest of my life with? I am not, let me repeat, NOT going to marry a man I don't love just because it's your 'duty' to marry me off to someone of 'proper stature'" she spat out the words as Alice flinched. Alice noticed Bella's hands curled up in fists and knew father and daughter were never going to agree on this._

_Lord Swan took a deep breath and very quietly responded, "Isabella! Do not speak to me that way! We are your parents and we know what is best for you! Lord Breighton has asked for your hand in marriage and we have agreed. He has property in the colonies and that is where you will be moving to. He has the wealth to provide a very good home for you and the children you will bear for him."_

_At the mention of bearing children, Bella blanched. "You cannot expect me to marry a man I don't even know, much less bear children for him! I won't do it I tell you! I'll run away first!"_

_Lady Renee stepped in before her husband could lose control. She looked into Bella's furious eyes and calmly replied, "Isabella dear, Lord Breighton has been to our home. He spotted you out in the garden and let his desire for your hand in marriage be known to your father. We only have your best interest at heart. Lord Breighton is a young man and promises to take very good care of you. There is nothing you can say. It is done." _

_Bella glared at her parents and knew nothing she could say would change their decision. She grabbed Alice's hand and ran back upstairs to her bedroom. She threw herself on her bed and cried. The feeling of betrayal overwhelmed her and she couldn't stop herself from the sobs that shook her slim body._

_Alice smoothed her hair and told her, "Don't worry Bella. I'll convince both our parents that I need to come with you until you get settled in your new home. You have always been there for me when I needed you and I refuse to let you leave on your own when you need me." _

_Bella's tears slowed as she sat up and pulled Alice to her in a hug. "Oh Alice! I truly love you! You are the sister I always dreamed of having. I appreciate your offer, but I can't ask you to disrupt your life just because mine is coming to an end."_

_Alice pulled away and stared Bella right in the eyes. "Bella, you're not asking me anything! I'm telling you that I am going to come with you. Besides, who else will put up with me? Who knows…maybe you will fall in love with Lord Breighton the minute you lay eyes on him. Hopefully he'll have a brother or cousin for me! I have a feeling this adventure is going to be the best thing that ever happened to us!"_

_Bella smiled at her best friend and knew that with Alice by her side, she wouldn't be as frightened as she would be if she were by herself. "Ok Alice. Thank you so much for being my best friend and sister!"_

_**End of flashback**_

That had been over a week ago. Lady Renee had taken over packing the things that Bella would take with her. Lord Swan took Bella's threat at running away seriously and made sure she was never alone. His trusted men, Felix and Demitri, had kept watch over her and never let her out of their sight. This only made Bella more furious with her father. The men were also going to accompany the girls to the colonies to make sure everything went according to plan.

Alice had been able to convince their parents that she needed to go with Bella until she could adapt to her new life. Although Bella dreaded the change her life was going to endure, knowing Alice would be there beside her made the trip bearable. Alice had been her best friend since they were little children. Her parents weren't part of the nobility crowd, but that never bothered Bella. She knew Alice was better than all of the other ladies of the court.

Bella was still lost in her thoughts when Alice came running in her room. "Bella! We've got to get below! There's a pirate ship headed right for us and we can't outrun them! Hurry! The captain's first mate gave me these clothes and said we had to change into them! You've got to hurry before they catch us!"

Bella stared at Alice in disbelief. "Oh this is perfect! As if uprooting me to another country to marry a man I don't even know wasn't bad enough, now we've got a pirate ship coming at us? Perfect!"

Bella and Alice changed into the pants and shirts that the first mate had gave them and Bella piled her hair up under a hat. Alice's hair was short enough so all she had to do was put her hat on. They grabbed each other's hand and ran out the door. They headed for the stairs leading below when they felt the ship shudder.

"Perfect," Bella mumbled.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my first chapter. I was surprised at how many people put this story on alert & added it to their favorites. I sure hope I don't let you guys down! **

**Now…on with the story!**

Bella and Alice barely had time to hide underneath some blankets when they heard the fighting begin. They clung to each other tightly as they heard yelling and the sound of footsteps above them. The girls heard someone running down the stairs and froze when they heard the door open. They pulled more blankets over their bodies and waited for whoever was coming through the door.

The Captain looked around the room with a wild look in his eyes. When he found Bella and Alice he yelled, "Stay where you are and don't leave this room until one of my men come and get you. Do not go above no matter what you hear!" With that he turned around and slammed the door behind him. The girls turned to each other and Bella noticed that Alice was about to lose the thin grasp on her sanity.

For what seemed like days, Bella and Alice heard the clanging of metal hitting metal and screams. _Oh God! Please stop the screaming! I'm sorry for everything bad I've ever done in my life and I promise to be good if You will please stop the screaming! _Bella prayed like she had never prayed before. At that moment all the noise stopped. When Alice started whimpering, Bella began smoothing her hair and tried to comfort her as Alice had done for Bella when she got the news of her impending marriage. _Shit! Was that only a week ago?_

Bella started to push the blankets off of them. "No!" Alice yelled at her as she grabbed her arm, "We've got to stay hidden until one of the crew comes and gets us!" Bella started to reply to her but stopped when she heard someone at the door. "Don't worry Alice. Someone's coming now." When the door opened, what she was going to say next froze in her throat. That "someone" was not part of the captain's crew.

Bella and Alice watched as several pirates came down the steps. They started searching the room, opening crates and pulling the contents out. All of a sudden, one of the pirates yelled out, "Captain! We found it!" The girls stared as the pirate lifted a handful of gold coins up in the air and let them drop back in the large chest. Soon they heard someone coming down the steps and into the room. The captain walked over to the chest and threw his head back, laughing.

"So our spies were right! There's enough here to take care of our needs and them some. Start taking all of this above and load it on our ship. You know what to do with any survivors." The captain barked out his orders to his men and they all began hauling their loot out of the room.

Bella studied the captain and from her advantage point, could only see a very well-built man with blonde curls. Hidden, she was able to take her time looking him up and down. Long legs led to a very muscular, but lithe, body. She even had to admit to herself that he had one fine ass. When he turned around, Bella couldn't stop the gasp that escaped from her lips. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life. Unfortunately for the girls, the gasp wasn't missed by the captain. With squinted eyes, he looked all around the room and noticed a lock of long brown hair poking out of a pile of blankets. He walked over and pulled the hair.

"OW!" Bella yelled as she threw the blankets off of her and Alice. "Let go of my hair right now!" She started hitting the captain trying to get her hair loose. Alice snapped out of her shock and stomped on his foot. He immediately let go of Bella's hair and grabbed Alice's arm.

"Run Bella!" Alice screamed but Bella knew there was nowhere to run to. She faced the captain and started yelling at him to let go of Alice's arm. Instead of letting go of Alice, he reached out and grabbed Bella. The bolt of electricity that ran up his arm made him take a closer look at Bella. He took in the deep, brown eyes, pale pink lips and long dark mahogany hair. He then looked down at her full breasts, straining against the too small shirt she was wearing. His eyes followed down her body to notice she was wearing men's clothing. They did nothing to hide her curves.

"Well…well…well. Looks like gold isn't the only treasure down here," he said with a smirk on his face. "Take them up top, but don't hurt them," he ordered one of his men.

Bella stole a glance at Alice and it seemed like her best friend was getting ready to have a panic attack. "Alice, don't worry. My father will come and find us. He won't let any harm come to us."

The captain let out a snort. "I don't think he's going to know where to start looking for you." He released the girls and watched one of his men escort them up the steps.

As she headed out the door, Bella turned around and sneered at the captain. "My father may not know where to look, but my fiancé, Lord Breighton will find us."

It was the captain's turn to sneer. "Lord James Breighton? You were going to marry him? Oh this is my lucky day!"

Bella looked at Alice and muttered to herself, "damn!" before they walked through the door. Bella and Alice climbed the stairs & went through the door. What was on the other side totally shocked the girls. Blood and bodies lay all over the deck. The smell drifted to Bella and she started to feel light-headed. All of a sudden she came to a halt and yanked her arm back. Their escort turned to look at her and growled.

"Please! I need to sit down," she whispered to him. "I feel like I'm going to faint."

As the pirate took in her pale face, he nodded. "Both of you sit down right here on this crate. I'm going to tie you up together while we finish loading our ship."

The girls sat back to back on the nearest crate and the pirate tied them together. Alice had started crying and moaned, "Bella, what's going to happen to us? You heard the captain…no one is going to find us!"

Bella turned her head and whispered to Alice, "Don't worry about it. This is my father's best ship and he isn't going to take this attack lying down. We can't forget about Lord Breighton either. He's expecting to make me his bride so I'm sure he'll stop at nothing to find us. Now we've got to relax and pay attention to what is going on around us as much as possible. I'm sure these pirates will hold us for ransom, which my father will pay, and we will be free before you know it!"

Bella knew that she sounded a lot more sure of their survival than she really was. She had heard plenty of stories about what happened to females that were captured by pirates. If a female survived the capture, she was usually raped repeatedly or sold into slavery. Bella couldn't let Alice be aware of her fears though.

As she sat there lost in thought, she let her eyes travel across her father's ship. All of a sudden she sucked in her breath. Demitri and Felix, her guard dogs back at home, were helping the pirates load all the captured booty onto the pirate ship. She couldn't help the snarl that escaped through her lips. They were the spies the captain had mentioned. They had betrayed the Swan family!

Bella screamed at the men, "You bastards! How could you betray the trust my father had in you? He trusted you to take care of Alice and me, not to mention my dowry!"

Before Bella could blink an eye, Demitri was in her face in a split second. "Don't you scream at me, little girl. You have no idea what your father's true plan was! You think he is above all the backroom games? You have no idea!"

Bella tried leaning back as far as she could. She could feel Alice straighten up and freeze. She couldn't believe Demitri would talk about her father like this. "How dare you!" she snarled back. Her eyes had darkened to almost black and she struggled to get loose so she could slap the sneer off of Demitri's face.

"Demitri, that's enough! Get out of the girl's face and back to loading the ship. We are almost done and I want to put as much distance between us and this area as we can," the captain's velvety voice carried over the deck of the ship. "Jacob, take the girls to the ship and put the mouthy one in my cabin. You can put the other one in Edward's cabin. I'm sure he'll enjoy a little female company!" He crossed over to the pirate ship and disappeared.

Bella and Alice watched Jacob walk over to them with wide eyes. Jacob was huge! He had dark skin and long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. What put the fear of God in their eyes was his size. Jacob stood at 6'7", with a very broad chest and muscles to match. Bella figured his arms were as big around as her waist. He picked them both up and carried them across the plank that joined both ships. Bella looked behind them and saw a pirate carry the last chest across and follow the other men out of sight. Another man drew the plank into the pirate ship and stow it along the side of the ship.

As the pirate ship moved away from her father's ship, Bella couldn't believe her eyes when someone fired upon the disabled ship. When it caught fire, she choked back a sob at the loss of such a fine ship and the loss of life. Those men had served her father for years. _Well, most of them_ she thought to herself. She made a promise right then and there that she would avenge their deaths. _But first I've got to save me and Alice_ she reminded herself. As they moved further and further away, she couldn't help the despair that threatened to take over her body and soul.

Once Bella decided that there wasn't much damage they could cause Jacob, she started paying attention to everything around her. She was very surprised to see that the ship didn't look anything like she had imagined a pirate ship would look like. It seemed to be about as long as one of her father's ships and had three very large sails. Everywhere she looked, she saw crew members hustling, trying to get as much distance from the burning ship as they could.

One thing that shocked Bella was the fact that the crew looked like ordinary men she might run across at home. Just like the ship, they didn't look like the pirates everyone was afraid of. Not one of them looked at her and Alice like they wanted to eat the girls. They had a job to do and they did it.

At one end of the ship, Bella could see steps leading up to a set of doors. It was these doors that Jacob was headed for. He carried the girls up the steps like they weighed next to nothing and went through the door on the left and stopped. He set the girls on the floor and untied them.

As he motioned Alice to the bed, he warned her to stay there until Edward showed up. He then explained that Edward was the first mate and the most loyal to the captain. Alice just stared at him with wide eyes and nodded.

Jacob then took Bella by the arm and walked her out and through the other door. She watched him lock Alice in the cabin. He explained to her that Captain Whitlock would be in to check on her in a little bit. She ignored him as she took in her surroundings. There was a desk with lots of papers on it in one corner and a bed in another corner. Bella walked over to the bookshelves that lined one wall. Jacob watched her as she looked at all the books.

"Do you know how to read?" he asked her.

"Of course!" she answered him haughtily.

He just grinned at her and shook his head as he walked out the door. "I hope lady luck is smiling down on us…we sure are going to need it!" he chuckled as he closed the door.

As Bella heard him lock the door from the outside, everything that had happened to her and Alice came crashing down on her. She threw herself down on the bed and started sobbing. She tried so hard to be brave, but really…what chance did she and Alice have of surviving? She finally stopped crying and decided right then and there that they would survive! She would see to it. With that thought in mind, she let her mind and body give in to the sleep that soon overtook her.

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After making sure all the gold was locked up, Jasper made his way to his cabin. He wasn't for sure what would be waiting for him inside, but he knew he was too tired to put up with much. Edward wasn't too happy to have one of the girls in his cabin, but Jasper had explained that it was for the girl's safety. He knew that once he appealed to Edward's chivalrous side, the argument would be over. Jasper wasn't too worried about his men since he had known them for years and he did trust them with his life, but they still had months to go before they would get home and without female companionship. He didn't want to have to punish any of his men for anything concerning the girls.

Jasper took out his key and unlocked his door. He quietly pushed the door open and looked around. He saw the brown-eyed beauty lying across his bed, fast asleep. He walked over and looked down on her. He noticed that her eyes were red and her face was splotchy. He knew she had cried herself to sleep. He also knew, from Demitri and Felix, that her name was Lady Isabella Swan, but friends and family called her Bella.

He remembered how Bella had threatened him with her "fiancé" Lord Breighton. Jasper growled to himself as he thought about that sorry excuse of a man. How Lord Swan could ever entertain the thought of letting that animal near his daughter, much less marry her, Jasper would never know. Swan must be getting something very valuable in return, he thought to himself. One thing he did know was that all the gold they confiscated would be going towards a good cause.

Jasper let his eyes roam freely down Bella's body. He noticed the dark, luxurious hair fanning out around her beautiful face. The top few buttons had popped off her shirt in the struggle with Jacob, which allowed him to see her creamy neck leading to her cleavage. Her full breasts threatened to spill out over the top of the shirt. The leggings she had on did nothing to hide the fact that she was all woman. A small waist curved out into full hips, which led to legs that seemed to go on forever.

_What a spit-fire this sleeping beauty can be!_ Jasper thought to himself as he remembered how defiant she was on her father's ship. He knew the rest of the trip was going to be anything but boring! He was surprised to find he was looking forward to the challenge. That electric shock he received when he grabbed her arm crossed his mind. He knew that that kind of thing had never happened to him before. All of a sudden, he promised himself that he would do everything he could to make her look at him like a man, not just a pirate. He was truly a southern gentleman and he would show her that side of him.

With that in mind, he went back out the door to find Jacob. He wanted a tub of hot water for Bella to bathe in when she woke up. He went down below to find her some clothes to change into when she was done. He silently thanked God that his sister insisted he buy some of the latest fashions for her and other members of the family while he was in France.

Demitri told him that the other girl's name was Alice Brandon. Although she didn't have a title, she was Bella's best friend and the closest thing she had to a sister. He decided to let Edward take care of her needs. She was his responsibility.

Once he knew Jacob was getting water heating up, Jasper went back to his cabin and laid the blue gown on his chair. He knew it would fit her and would look beautiful on her. After stealing another glance at Bella, he walked out the door and locked it. He hated to have to do it, but he knew it was necessary until she got used to the idea that she wasn't going anywhere and that there wasn't anything she could do. He sighed as he went to take his turn at the wheel.

**A/N…I was thinking about doing the next chapter on Alice and Edward. I really want them to have a big part of this story. What do you think? Stay with Jasper and Bella? Or expand out to include Edward and Alice? Let me know.**

……**.I want to thank everyone for their reviews, story alerts and for adding this story to their favorites! I wasn't really for sure if I could do this, but with your encouragement, it seems like my fingers are typing on their own! Lol**


	3. Chapter 3

I forgot all about this in my other chapters

**Disclaimer: I own nothing…**

_Bella was running through the forest, she didn't know where she was running to but she knew she was running for her life. Limbs of trees and bushes were whipping into her flesh, but she wouldn't let herself stop. Tears were streaming down her face, almost blinding her, yet she pushed herself to keep going. _

_All of a sudden, a tall man stepped around a tree right in front of her. She couldn't stop herself in time and ran right into him. She tried to evade him, but she wasn't fast enough. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her closer to him. _

"_Ah, Isabella. I've been waiting a long time for you. I'm happy to see you couldn't wait to see me too." He grabbed her by the face and made her look at him. One look in his eyes told her that he was the reason she was running. He was tall with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, but it was his eyes that made her afraid. His eyes were almost black and they narrowed as he looked up and down her body. "I paid good money for you and I expect to get my money's worth!"_

_Bella tried to get away but all she could do was squirm against his body. "Please let me go! My father will pay you whatever you want, just please don't hurt me!" She pleaded with him but all she could see was lust in his eyes. She gasped as she felt his arousal pushing up against her back. The more she tried to get away, the more he pressed against her._

_He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Do you feel what you do to me, Isabella? As for your father paying me, who do you think I gave my money to? I've been waiting a long time to be compensated for the gold I put up for you and now my waiting has ended." _

"_No!" Bella screamed as the man grabbed her bodice and ripped her dress down. She couldn't help the screams that were coming out her mouth. As she saw the crazed look on the man's face, she started backing up. She had her hands in front of herself, trying to cover up her naked body. When she backed up into a tree, she knew she had come to the end. "Please…" she whispered but she knew the man was past listening to her now. She closed her eyes and screamed when she felt the man's arms surround her._

"_Isabella…"_

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"Isabella! Wake up! It's only a dream. Wake up."

Bella woke up to find herself in Jasper's arms. She backed up against the headboard, looking wildly around her. As she took in her surroundings, she began to calm down and the tears slowed. She looked at Jasper and couldn't stop herself from staring at him. He had blonde curls that fell to his shoulders and the most beautiful eyes Bella had ever seen. They weren't blue, nor were they green. They were the color of slate, a gray color. He had an angular face with high cheekbones, a straight and narrow nose and perfect lips. She had already checked out his body on her father's ship so she knew that it matched his face. Bella felt a shiver go down her spine when she remembered the bolt of electricity that ran through her when he had grabbed her arm.

The lips that she had just been admiring turned up into a smirk. That shook her out of her thoughts and she couldn't help but get angry. She knew that he knew that she had been checking him out.

"What are you going to do with Alice and me?" she demanded.

"Well, seeing as how you both are on my ship, anything I want!" he slyly answered her, enjoying the blush that turned her face red. "But for now, I had Jacob draw you a bath and I found a dress that you can change into. As much as I enjoy looking at you in those clothes, I'm pretty sure you will want to wear something that covers you better." He slowly shifted his eyes from her face to the shirt she was wearing.

Bella looked down at her shirt and couldn't help the groan that escaped from her lips. Since the shirt was too small, her breasts were all but falling out over the few buttons that were keeping them in. "Shit!" she said under her breath, trying to hold the top of the shirt together.

"Such a naughty girl, using that language and trying to seduce me with your body," he said, chuckling.

"Ugh! Get out so I can take that bath and change!" she yelled at him.

"Isabella, you need to remember that this is my ship. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, on it belongs to me. I do what I want, when I want…and I think I want to watch you strip down and take your bath. No, in fact, I know that's what I want!" He paused when he heard her sharp intake of air, "but it just so happens that I am needed elsewhere. I only stopped in here when I heard you screaming. One of these days, you're going to have to tell me about that dream. I'll be back with your dinner in a little while."

Bella got off the bed with a huff and walked to the bath. She stood there with her back to Jasper. She would not let him see the tears that had started falling down her face. She hated the fact that anger always brought out the tears. She started to unbutton her shirt when she heard the door shut. She took the shirt off and pulled the leggings she had on down. She stepped into the water and the scent of lavender floated to her nose. She sank down until the water was up to her neck. She thought about Alice and wondered what was happening to her best friend. She hoped that this Edward was treating her alright. She knew that she needed to see Alice so they could plot their escape.

She thought back to her dream and remembered the look of lust in that monster's eyes and what he had said about her father. There was no way her father would ever do that to her! But in the back of her mind, she remembered that he had forced her to travel across the ocean to marry a man he didn't really know. What was it that Demitri had yelled at her? That she didn't know his true plans. She realized that she couldn't go back to her parents because they would just make her go back. "Crap, crap, crap!" she muttered to herself as she sank all the way under the water. For a moment, she decided to just stay under water, but she knew nothing would happen. Holding her breath when she was a child had never gotten her anywhere.

She soaked in the bath until her fingers started to look like prunes. She knew that she had to hurry before the captain came back with her dinner and caught her still naked. She hurriedly washed her body and hair. She stepped out of the bath and dried herself off. She eyed the dress draped over the chair and debated whether to put it on or the shirt and pants she had on before. She remembered the shirt and decided that she was safer wearing the dress. She slipped it on and rolled her eyes when she looked in the mirror. The dress fit her like a glove and left nothing to the imagination. Her breasts looked like they were going to overflow over the bodice. She tried pulling it up, but it didn't help.

She looked for a brush, but could only find a comb. The captain didn't say she could use his comb, but he also didn't provide her with a brush so she decided to use it. She pulled the comb through her long hair and swore to herself when she tried to comb the tangles out. _I am so cutting my hair as soon as I find something to cut it with! _she thought to herself.

She turned when she heard the key in the lock. She tried pulling her bodice up one more time, but like before, it didn't help. She readied herself for the captain's entrance but shrieked when she saw who was coming in and bringing her dinner.

"ALICE!!!"

"BELLA!!!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nada…**

After Jacob dropped Alice off in Edward's cabin, she was still in shock. She couldn't believe the way fate had thrown this curve into her life. She sat on the edge of the bed and took in her surroundings. The cabin was sparsely furnished, with the bed and a desk taking up most of the space. Tapestries were hung along two walls while swords and shields decorated another. Alice walked over to the swords and took one down. She smiled to herself when she thought about all the complaining she did when Bella convinced her to take fencing lessons with her. Who knew that those lessons may save them. She put the sword back on the wall and walked over to the desk. She couldn't help herself from looking through the paperwork that covered the desk.

Alice was lost in her thoughts when she heard someone unlocking the door. A stab of fear ran through her body as she dove underneath the desk. She heard footsteps crossing the wooden floor and stop in the middle of the cabin. She held her breath, but knew that as loud as her heart was beating, she would be found.

"I know Jacob brought you in here, so you might as well come out now," she heard a man's voice order. "I promise I won't hurt you."

Alice knew that hiding under the desk wasn't going to protect her so she crawled out and stood in front of the man with her head down. Afraid of what she might see, she couldn't look him in the face. She couldn't help but notice his long legs, which were spread shoulder-wide. Her eyes traveled up and those long legs led to a slim waist and broad shoulders. He wasn't as huge as Jacob, but Alice could tell that he was muscular under his loose shirt. Curiosity got the best of her and she peeked up through her eyelashes. Pirates always had bad skin, scars and patches over their eyes, right? So wrong! His hair was a bronze color and looked like it had never been tamed. But what captivated Alice were his eyes. They were the greenest green she had ever seen. They were the color of emeralds. She noticed the corners of his full lips curve up into a smile, flashing beautiful white teeth.

"Like what you see, little one?" he softly asked her.

"Oh!" She brought her eyes back down to the floor, totally embarrassed that she had been caught staring at him. "You don't look anything like I imagined you would."

"Did I disappoint?" he asked with a smirk on his face. He could picture in his mind what she had thought.

"Only that you aren't wearing gold hoop earrings and you seem to be missing your wooden leg," she answered him with a small smile.

He stared at her and then chuckled to himself. "Please have a seat," he motioned to the bed. She looked at him warily and waited until he sat at his desk before she did as he asked. "Jacob is getting a bath ready for you so you can freshen up. I can get you some clothes, but you'll have to alter them since they were for someone taller than you. Can you sew?"

"Humph! Sure I can. I love designing and creating beautiful gowns. You might say it's a passion of mine," she slyly replied, thinking about design books she had left at home.

"Well, we might just have some bolts of yard goods somewhere you can use. We were bringing them back home. I'm going to go check on your bath and find you something to change into." He walked to the door and paused. He turned around and said,"By the way, my name is Edward Cullin."

"I'm Alice," she answered him.

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When Jasper told Edward that Alice was going to be staying in his cabin, Edward was not happy at all. But Jasper was right. There were only two private cabins on the ship and apparently the captain had taken to Isabella, so that left Edward's cabin. There was no way Edward would subject Alice to the rest of the crew so he agreed to the arrangement. He could only hope that Alice wasn't one of those crying and whining females.

To say Edward was pleased would be an understatement. After his talk with Jasper, he heard how Alice had attacked Jasper when he had a hold of Isabella on the other ship. But after seeing this girl in person, he was shocked. She barely came up to his chest! He chuckled to himself at the thought of someone so petite attacking the captain of his ship. What had caught his attention were her blue eyes and black hair against her pale skin. She was beautiful and it didn't escape him that she was checking him out. Something about her made him want to get to know her better.

He went down below deck to find Alice some clothes and a sewing kit. He decided on a dark green gown and grabbed a sewing kit. He met Jacob at his cabin and held the door open as he dragged the tub inside. He handed Alice the gown and kit. "Here you go. I thought you could alter the dress while Jacob fills the tub up. I think you'll just have to shorten it," he told her. "After you're done with your bath and dressed, we'll have supper in the captain's cabin. I imagine you'll want to see Isabella?" He asked and was rewarded with a squeal from Alice. "I thought so."

Edward left to find Jasper. He had to know what his plans were now that they had the two females on board. Being pirates was not what they really were. In fact, neighbors and friends would be shocked to learn that this is what they did on the side. Back home, they were respected pillars of the community. Edward thought back to the day Jasper and his sister Rosalie moved in with the Cullin's. They had all been children when their parents were killed. Edward's father and Jasper's mother were siblings, so it was only natural for the children to move in with their uncle. Edward had been an only child, but he couldn't have asked for a better brother and sister.

The Whitlock's owned a sugar plantation in Georgia, which Edward's father, Carlisle ran until Jasper was old enough to take over. The Cullin's were lucky that Carlisle was a doctor, which meant that they could move from their home in South Carolina to Georgia when Jasper's parents were killed. The killer was never found and Edward knew that finding who murdered his parents, and why, had always weighed heavily on Jasper's mind.

Edward spotted Jasper at the wheel and walked over to him. Jasper looked at him and asked, "So…what do you think?" Edward just smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

"_Alice!!!"_

"_Bella!!!"_

Bella ran toward Alice, taking her in her arms. Alice wrapped her arms around her, like she would never let go. After hugging her for what seemed hours, Bella unwrapped her arms and gently held Alice away so she could look in her face. "Alice, are you ok? You're not…um…hurt, are you? I've been so worried about you. It's all my fault you're in this predicament."

Alice interrupted her before she could continue. "Bella, don't you dare blame yourself! It was my choice to accompany you to the colonies. I'm the one that suggested it, remember? Anyway, to answer your question, no I'm not hurt. In fact, despite being kidnapped by pirates, I couldn't be better!" she giggled.

"Ahem…"

Bella and Alice turned toward the interruption and saw Jacob standing in the doorway. "The captain thought you two would like to spend some time alone together before supper. He and Edward will be joining you in a little while." He turned and walked away after closing the door and locking it.

Bella grabbed Alice by her hand and dragged her to the bed. "Alice, please sit down. We've got to figure out how we're going to get out of this mess. There's something going on and it's driving me crazy not knowing what it is."

"I don't know Bella. I think that we just need to go with the flow until we do figure out what's going on. I have a feeling that this is bigger than just your marriage to Lord Breighton. Why would Demitri and Felix betray your father like they did? Demitri seemed to have so much anger in him towards your father. I just don't understand why. Did you notice the hatred the captain had for Lord Breighton?" Alice drifted off into her thoughts. She came back to the present and asked slyly, "so…speaking of the captain, what do you think about him? Don't think I didn't catch you checking him out!"

Bella's face turned red with embarrassment. "Alice! It doesn't matter what I think about him. I can't let myself. I've got to keep my wits about me and try to figure out how to get us to safety. I don't think going back to England is a good idea, since my parents will just send me back. You know how I feel about marriage so I really don't want to go to Lord Breighton's either. The captain said that we had months before we would reach our destination, so I guess we've got time to make plans."

Alice noticed her flushed face and remarked, "You know your blush gives you away every time, so I can tell there's something there that you don't want to share with me. But that's ok, I can wait. I don't see any bruises and you look normal so I know he didn't ravage you…"

"Alice!!! What the…" Bella sputtered.

Alice couldn't hold in her laughter. "Bella, I never knew your face could turn that many shades of red. Anyway, since you don't want to tell me about the captain, let me tell you about his first mate. Edward is breathtakingly gorgeous! He's got these beautiful green eyes and his hair looks like he just had a romp in bed. He's got this crooked smile that just takes my breath away…" Alice fell back on the bed with a dreamy look on her face.

Bella looked at her best friend and rolled her eyes. Alice always was a little boy crazy. Each one was better looking than the last, according to Alice. Bella decided she would just have to see Edward for herself, but either way, Bella knew there was no way his looks could hold a candle to Jasper's. As for being "ravaged," it just dawned on Bella that there was only one bed in the cabin. She bit her lip as she wondered about how the sleeping arrangements were going to work out and if Jasper would expect her to submit to him.

Alice noticed Bella's silence and glanced at her. She saw her biting her lip and knew that her best friend was deep in thought about something. "What's wrong?" she asked her.

"Alice, I just realized that there's only one bed in here and I imagine there's only one in Edward's cabin…" she slowly responded, "so I was wondering what the sleeping arrangements were going to be."

"Oh Bella! I know you haven't been _that_ intimate with a man before, but trust me…if the captain looks half as good as Edward does, it's not going to be a problem for you to share his bed. Like I said, just go with the flow. I told you that I had a feeling about this trip…" Alice chuckled as she gave Bella a hug. "It will all work out in the end. Fate has a way of making sure of that."

The girls were interrupted by Jacob opening the door. Two of the crew members carried in a table and four chairs, which they set up along one wall. Three other men carried in covered plates, wine glasses and silverware. Once everything was in place, everyone left but Bella and Alice. At that moment, Jasper and Edward entered the cabin. Bella stole a look at Alice and had to roll her eyes when she saw Alice lick her lips.She thought to herself, _Hell! Can you be any more obvious Alice?_ Alice looked at her and winked.

Jasper couldn't take his eyes off of Bella. The gown fit her perfectly, just like he knew it would. He walked to the bed and took her hand. As he bent over and kissed her hand, he felt the electricity run through him. He looked at Bella and knew she felt it too. He helped her to her feet and escorted her to the table. He held out a chair for her and cocked his eyebrow at her. "My lady..." As she sat down, he couldn't help but notice her breasts nearly spilling over her bodice. He felt himself starting to get hard so he quickly took his seat before anyone could notice.

Bella was well aware that Jasper was giving her the eye. Once again she tried to pull her bodice up, and once again it didn't work. She thought of the electricity that ran through her body again. She thought it was something she imagined the first time it happened, but knew she didn't imagine it this time. She also knew that Jasper felt it too. She felt a shiver run down her spine when she realized that her life was in the hands of this man. It startled her to think that she didn't dread it as much as she thought she would. She decided right then and there that she would have to rein in her emotions so Jasper wouldn't know how much she was attracted to him. She stole a look at him from the corner of her eyes and wasn't for sure if she was going to be able to do just that.

As Jasper was pouring wine for everyone, Edward walked over to Alice and pulled her up off the bed. He bowed to her and offered his arm. She took it and walked to the table where Edward held out a chair for her. She looked up at him through her eyelashes and thanked him. She was rewarded with that crooked smile she loved.

Everyone removed the lids on their dinners and started eating. Bella and Alice realized how famished they were. The last time they had eaten seemed so long ago. Foregoing any lady-like manners, they dug into their meal. Jasper and Edward looked at them and then at each other with an amused expression on their face.

Jasper leaned over and whispered in Bella's ear, "Don't worry, there's more where that came from." He was shocked when she looked at him, smiled and gave him a wink. _This woman just keeps on amazing me,_ he thought to himself. He couldn't help but chuckle. He was hell-bent on getting to know her. He had so many questions for her and knew she had some for him too. He figured the wine would relax everyone so he made sure the wine glasses stayed full.

Once they were through eating their supper, Jasper refilled everyone's wine glass and sat back in his chair. "Well, I know you have some questions and so do I, so how about we take turns asking? But I need to lay down the rules before we go any further. Keep in mind that these rules are put in place for your safety. First of all, you are not to leave these cabins unless Jacob, Edward or I are with you. The doors will be unlocked so you may visit each other, but stay off the deck. During the day, you will stay indoors, but after the men settle down for the night, one of us will escort you outside. I trust my men, but you two are very beautiful women and I don't want to put that temptation in front of them. We will have to stop for supplies soon, but you two will stay on board with Jacob. You can let either Edward or me know if you need anything. As for my cabin, feel free to read any of my books, but stay away from my desk. The dining table and chairs will remain in here for the duration of the trip, so if you can use the table for anything you want to do. Edward, do you want to add anything?"

Edward looked at Alice and replied,"As far as I'm concerned, I want you to make yourself at home. I realize that this may be unconventional, but like Jasper said, we have a long trip ahead of us and I want this to be as comfortable for the both of us as possible. During the day, Isabella is more than welcome to spend time with you in my cabin and I'm sure Jasper feels the same regarding you and his cabin." He looked at Jasper, "I guess that's all I can think of at this time."

Jasper nodded his head and looked at Bella. "Ok, now it's question and answer time. Ladies first?"

**A/N I'd like to give a shout out to random-lemon for the suggestions and pointers. Thanks bunches!**

**I'm going to do some rec's for my favorite stories at the end of my chapters. I always appreciate it when an author rec's stories. So here's my list:**

**Emancipation Proclamation – kharizzmatik – I love Edward in this story. He's a bad boy trying to be good for the love of his life, Bella.**

**An Imperfect Love – mistyhaze420 – this story is all Jasper and Bella. Full of lemony goodness! ;D**

**Finding Relief – twistedfortwilight – this is another Jasper/Bella story and it's got some pretty kick-ass lemons in it too!**

**The Orbiting Meteor – IdreamofEddy – this the first Peter/Bella story I've read and I highly recommend it. Peter is so funny! This story has got some pretty hot lemons!**

**10 Steps to Seducing Your Hot Virgin Vampire BF – halojones – this story had me actually laughing out loud! It is hilarious! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N I do not own Twilight**

_Jasper nodded his head and looked at Bella. "Ok, now it's question and answer time. Ladies first?"_

Bella narrowed eyes stared into Jasper's slate colored eyes. She was pissed! First, he takes her and Alice from whatever life they were going to have, a life Bella really didn't want to think about and if she were being honest with herself, a life she didn't want. She pushed that thought out of her mind as she stewed on the rules Jasper had just laid down. Being cooped up in his cabin for months unless he wanted to let her out…it was maddening!

Bella decided to jump right in, "Just what are you going to do with Alice and me?"

Jasper took in her angry face and smirked at her. "Well darlin', I really haven't thought that far ahead. I wasn't expecting women to be on that ship. Gold, yes but beautiful females, no." His face got serious. "I can't just let you go. You have seen my ship and the faces of my men. Hell, you even know our names. I think we'll just have to keep you until we reach the colonies and then I'll decide. My turn to ask the next question. How is it that you are betrothed to Lord Breighton?" He said the name with a sneer on his lips.

Bella looked down to her lap, wanting to hide the blush she knew covered her face. "Apparently he had come to my home and saw me. Before he left he asked my father for my hand. I don't remember ever seeing him, but my parents thought he would be a good match for me." She couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes at that thought. She wanted to know what kind of man would chose a wife without even talking to her first. "What do you know about Lord Breighten?"

A growl rumbled in Jasper's chest. "I know he's a despicable man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He's been after my land for a very long time and will not take no for an answer. From what I've heard about him, he's an asswipe to his women, which is why I was so surprised to hear that your father would even consider giving him your hand in marriage." He stopped right there when he noticed Bella's face, it had gone paler than usual. His voice softened to an almost whisper, "You are very beautiful so I can understand why he would want you. Do you want to marry him? Do you want to be Lady Breighton?"

Jasper's eyes bored into Bella's and she couldn't look away. When he lifted an eyebrow at her, she shook herself out of the trance she was in. _What the hell was that? I am Lady Isabella Swan and I will not let this man get to me! _she thought to herself. "Of course I do! That's why I was making this long voyage…to marry Lord James Breighton, to become Lady Isabella B-Breighton." She could hardly squeeze the word out between her lips. She decided to just lay it out there on the line. "Please just let Alice and I go! I swear we won't say anything to anyone about you and your ship. I promise we won't!"

Jasper stiffened as he listened to her. It pissed him off to know that she wanted to marry that piece of shit. He straightened up in his chair and looked at her with a cold face. "Isabella, I already told you that this is my ship and I make all the decisions that are made on my ship. I haven't decided what to do with you two. Maybe I will take you up on your suggestion and send a ransom note to your father, or maybe I will give you back to Lord Breighton when I am done with you. Whatever I decide, I will let you know. Now I've got important business to take care. It looks like there's a storm coming and I need to get the ship ready so I will take my leave. I suggest you go to bed and get some rest. Maybe I'll have your answer tomorrow." Jasper stood and bowed to Bella. He turned to the others and said, "Edward, please escort Alice back to your cabin. This is going to be a long night." He waited until Edward and Alice left. As he was walking out the door, he turned to Bella. "Don't worry about our sleeping arrangement. I would never do anything to you that you didn't want me to do." He smirked at her, turned back around and started walking out the door.

Bella jumped up, knocking her chair backwards and ran towards Jasper. She grabbed a hold of his arm and couldn't stop the words from coming out of her mouth. "How dare you? Do you actually think that I would welcome your touch? You seem to forget that I am betrothed to another. Why in the world would I want you to touch me? I can't wait until my wedding night so my _husband _can make love to me. I hate you for taking me away from the life I was supposed to have! I swear on my life that the first chance I get, I will get away from you! You are nothing but a monster!" Bella knew she had gone too far when Jasper slowly turned around and grabbed her by her arms. She couldn't help swallowing hard when she looked in his eyes. They were dark blue, the color of sapphires.

"Is that right? So you're sure you would never want me to touch you?" Jasper spoke in a very low voice. He knew he wanted this woman, more than any other woman he had ever met, but he also knew that he would never force himself on her. He wanted her to want him too, especially now that she had taunted him with her fiancé. His stared down into her eyes, getting lost in those dark brown orbs.

Bella bit her lower lip as she stared back into his eyes. He was the most beautiful man she had ever met. She lowered her eyes to his lips and knew that she wanted him to be the first man to kiss and make love to her, but she didn't want to be used and tossed away. "Please…" she whispered.

Jasper placed both his hands on the sides of Bella's face. "Please what, Isabella?" he softly asked as he lowered his head. His lips met hers in a gentle kiss. When she didn't pull away, Jasper put his hands on her waist and pulled her to him. He deepened the kiss and ran his tongue along her lower lip, requesting entrance to her mouth. He had to taste her.

Bella couldn't help the moan that escaped her. She reached up and wrapped her arms around Jasper's neck. She parted her lips and felt Jasper's arms snake around her waist. His tongue began caressing hers. She moaned against his mouth again as she ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer. She had never felt the feelings she was having before. Her body was tingling and seemed to settle right down in her core. Although she had never kissed a man before, her body seemed to respond to Jasper like she had been one with him forever. She wanted to explore these feelings and knew she wanted to do this exploring with Jasper.

Bella pulled back when she knew she needed to breathe. Jasper kissed her closed eyes, her cheeks and along her jaw. He felt her shudder when he placed little open mouthed kisses down her neck. She couldn't help but throw her head back and expose more of herself to him. He ran his hands up and down her sides and back. Bella was panting hard. When Jasper went back to kissing her lips, Bella knew she wanted to return the feelings. She began kissing him along his neck. She wanted to taste him so she ran her tongue along his jaw. When Jasper moaned, Bella felt a sense of pride run through her. Although she was inexperienced, she had made him groan. He grabbed her by the hair and crushed his lips to hers.

Jasper pulled away from her and rested his forehead against hers. "So beautiful…" he whispered. They were panting hard together, trying to catch their breaths. He gazed into her smoldering eyes, trying to read her emotions. Did she want him like he wanted her? He wanted her to, very much so. "I hate to leave right at this moment, but I really do need to go. I don't know how long I'll be away, so just relax and enjoy the peace." He kissed her again and walked out the door.

When he left, Bella stripped down to her shift and got into bed. She couldn't get the kiss out of her mind. She had never believed in love at first sight, but she could see herself falling for Jasper…falling hard. From this moment on, she decided she would just take it day by day and let the chips fall where they may. Nothing could be as bad as marrying a man she didn't love, one she didn't even know. She had screamed at Jasper that she didn't want him to touch her, but she knew deep down that she was lying. She snuggled down into the bed and still thinking about that kiss, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	7. Author's Notes

**A/N Sorry about the mix up! I decided to combine chapters and when I did that, I had to rename the other chapters, so…anyway…thank you all for reading my story & putting it on alerts and adding to your favorites. I really appreciate all the reviews! This is my first story, so I need your ideas, suggestions and (gulp!) criticisms. I'm working on the next chapter and should have it up tonight. Once again…THANKS!!!**

**racejunkie**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N This chapter was saved as Chapter 8. Sorry if this caused any confusion...and as always...  
**

** I do not own Twilight**

_When he left, Bella stripped down to her shift and got into bed. She couldn't get the kiss out of her mind. She had never believed in love at first sight, but she could see herself falling for Jasper…falling hard. From this moment on, she decided she would just take it day by day and let the chips fall where they may. Nothing could be as bad as marrying a man she didn't love, one she didn't even know. She had screamed at Jasper that she didn't want him to touch her, but she knew deep down that she was lying. She snuggled down into the bed and still thinking about that kiss, she fell asleep with a smile on her face._

Some time during the night, Jasper made his way back to his cabin. He was so damn tired! He knew they were headed towards one huge storm and it was his responsibility to make sure everything was secured. His men were experienced enough to know exactly what to do, but as always, Jasper double checked everything.

When he entered his cabin, his eyes were drawn to the beautiful girl lying in his bed. Bella had kicked the blanket off to the floor and the sheet did little in covering her body. He ran his tongue across his lips as he remembered the taste of her lips and mouth. He knew he wanted to taste more of her, but also realized that he would have to take it slow. He wanted Bella to trust him, not only with her body but also with her life.

He stripped down and crawled into bed. He left the blanket on the floor because he knew that their body heat would keep them warm enough. Bella was asleep on her side with her back to him so he lay on his side and pulled her to him. She snuggled back into him and he wrapped his arm around her waist. He buried his face in her hair and took a deep breath. She was so soft and smelled so good, like the lavender he had Jacob put in her bath.

Jasper frowned when he thought about the question and answer time they had at dinner. Bella had told him, in no uncertain terms, that she wanted to marry that bastard, Breighton. There was no way in hell he would ever let that happen. If Bella didn't want to be with him, he'd take her anywhere she wanted to go. Just not to Breighton. He would not, could not do that. It would be like taking a sheep to the slaughter house. Breighton would eat her up and spit her out. Jasper knew he would kill Bella's spirit and there was no way he would allow that.

All of a sudden, Bella moaned his name and ground her ass on Jasper's cock. _Oh shit! _He could feel himself getting hard and knew he had to wake her up before he did something that she may regret. "Isabella…" "Please call me Bella," she said still asleep. Jasper smiled to himself and felt a loss when she stopped her grinding.

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_Bella was running through the woods again, but this time she didn't feel any fear, just the feeling of running to something instead of running from something. All of a sudden a man stepped out from behind a tree. Bella tried to stop in time but ended up running into him. The man was tall and very well built. His muscular body told her that this was a man that worked out. As beautiful as his body was, it had nothing on his face. Blonde wavy hair framed a very masculine face, but it was his eyes that captivated Bella. His slate colored eyes stared into her brown eyes, seeming to search her very soul. _

_He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards him. He unbuttoned her dress and pushed it down around her feet. He removed her chemise and lowered her to the ground. He lay next to her on the soft grass, half his body covering hers. Bella couldn't help but take deep breaths since it seemed she wasn't getting any air. The man gazed at her body, taking in her flushed face and heaving breasts. He leaned down and took one of her nipples in his mouth. He laved his tongue across the hardened tip as he took her other breast in his hand. He rolled the nipple between his thumb and finger watching it harden. Bella could feel the heat between her legs and knew she wanted more. "Please…Jasper…" she whispered to him. She didn't know what she was pleading for, but she knew he would give it to her._

_He brought his lips to hers and lovingly kissed her. He placed kisses all over her face and started kissing her neck. He nibbled on her earlobe and whispered into her ear, "Isabella…" _

_Bella interrupted him, "Please call me Bella" and then he disappeared. The dream was over._

_********************************************************************************************_

After a deep sleep, Bella woke up and tried to get out of bed. She found herself pinned to the bed by a very strong arm. She started to turn her head, but her hair was trapped too. Moving very slowly, she tried to move the arm, but it just tightened around her. She tried again and this time she was successful and used her hands to pull her hair out from under Jasper. She pushed the sheet off of her and was shocked to see a very naked Jasper lying next to her. _Oh. My. God!_ She couldn't help but stare at his body. She had never seen a naked man before, unless you counted statues she had seen in the many museums she had visited. _Those statues weren't anything like the real thing! _She had always wondered what the male anatomy really looked like, but nothing she could have ever imagined would have matched what was before her eyes. She looked up to his face and a dark blush spread across her face. Jasper was staring at her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his lips. He didn't say anything but Bella knew he caught her ogling his body.

With a huff to hide her embarrassment, she jumped out of bed and glared at him. "Would you please cover yourself?" she growled.

The smirk never left Jasper's face. "Does it bother you? It shouldn't, you know. At least it didn't a little while ago…"

Any composure Bella had gained was lost at Jasper's words. "Well…hell!"

Jasper threw back his head and laughed. Bella couldn't help but smile when she heard him. He had such a great laugh. His golden waves of hair fell away from his face and his smile revealed his white teeth. But it was his eyes that caught her attention. They were back to the beautiful blue they were the night before.

The smile left her face at his next words. "So _Bella…_do you want to tell me about the dream you had?"

"What?" She was confused at him calling her Bella since he had called her Isabella from the first time they met. And then she remembered her dream. _Oh no!_ Bella knew she talked in her sleep, Alice used to get a kick out of having conversations with her while she slept.

"You seemed to be really getting into your dream. It took everything I had in me to remember to be the gentleman my mama raised," he teased her.

"I wasn't dreaming about you!" she told him, wanting to slap the smirk right off of his face.

"Oh really? How many Jaspers do you know? I don't think I've ever met anyone that shared my name." Jasper couldn't stop himself from teasing her, although he knew she was getting pissed.

Bella knew she was caught, but tried to play it off. "I know a couple of them back home," she lied.

Jasper laughed and once again, Bella couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from curling up. She rolled her eyes and could only say, "whatever."

Knowing he won that round and not wanting to embarrass her any further, Jasper covered himself up with the sheet and stood up. He wrapped the sheet around himself and walked over to the table. He handed Bella a pair of pants and a shirt. "I got these from one of the men. I figured you'd be a lot more comfortable wearing these instead of a gown. The shirt won't be as tight as the other one you were wearing, but I'm sure I can find a smaller one," he teased her and then grew serious. "I must insist you wear a gown for dinner though. You looked beautiful last night."

Bella blushed at his compliment and found that she liked it. "Thank you. The gown was beautiful."

Jasper gathered her in his arms and leaned down to her ear. "I wasn't talking about the gown. It paled in comparison to your beauty."

Bella felt the heat radiate throughout her body. She looked up to look in his face and found herself leaning toward him. He kissed down her neck and across her collarbone. He smiled to himself when he felt her shudder. "You better get dressed. I can't guarantee my gentlemanly intentions will remain intact." Jasper took in her red face and chuckled. He couldn't wait to see that blush cover her whole body.

As Jasper got dressed, Bella couldn't keep her eyes off of him. She watched the muscles in his body ripple as he pulled on his breeches and shirt. She was thankful he had turned his back to her to get dressed. She was lost in her thoughts so she didn't notice him turn his head. She looked at his face and groaned when he caught her staring at him again. She rolled her eyes when she noticed him raise his eyebrow. She grabbed the clothes he had laid out for her and quickly got dressed. Jasper reached out and took Bella's hand in his. He pulled her over to the dining table. "Jacob should be here any minute with breakfast. I've requested that Alice enjoy her meal with Edward. Bella, I would really like to get to know you better."

There was a knock on the door. Jasper walked over and opened it, stepping back to allow Jacob to enter. Bella didn't realize how hungry she was until she saw the bowls of fruit and covered plates Jacob brought in. She was surprised that such a large man could be coordinated enough to carry all the dishes, and then she felt a little ashamed of herself for having those thoughts. Jacob had been nothing but nice to her and Alice.

As Jacob placed the dishes on the table, he couldn't help but steal a glance at Bella. He wasn't for sure how he expected her to act this morning, but he was glad to see that she was calm, cool and collected. He bowed to her and said, "Good morning Lady Isabella. You're looking good this morning."

Bella smiled as she replied, "Thank you for breakfast, Jacob. And please call me Bella, just plain Bella. There's no need for us to be formal now, is there?"

Jacob looked at Jasper and back to Bella. A wide grin covered his face. "I guess there isn't. I'll be back to clear the dishes." He looked at Jasper, "Edward wanted me to get some of the bolts of material we have for Alice. Seems she enjoys designing gowns, or something. Anyway, he thought it would help occupy her time." Jasper nodded his agreement and Jacob turned back to Bella. "Do you play cards? I would be willing to teach you some card games to pass the time."

Bella looked at Jacob with a surprised expression on her face. "I have been known to play a few games with some of the help we had. Of course my parents never knew. They would have had a fit!" she couldn't help but giggle at the thought of her parents finding her playing poker with some of the guys, much less betting against them.

Jacob gave her a big smile, his white teeth glaring against his dark skin. "Well, this ought to be interesting." He clicked his heels together and bowed from his waist, "Bella…just plain Bella." He chuckled as he left the room.

Bella couldn't help but laugh at Jacob. She had a feeling that he was going to be someone she could trust and have fun with. Obviously Jasper held him in high regard and that made her feel better. She noticed Jasper had uncovered the plates and she couldn't help but dig in. Breakfast was ate in silence, but it was a comfortable silence.

Once they were done eating, Jasper and Bella sat back in their chairs. Jasper looked at Bella and couldn't help but ask, "So, Bella. Tell me about yourself. What did you do in your spare time, besides play cards?"

Bella thought hard about her response and decided to tell him everything. She just hoped what she would say would not be used against her. "Well…as you know, I am Lady Isabella Swan, daughter of Lord Charles and Lady Renee' Swan. I just turned 17 a few months ago. I love horseback riding and fencing, but simply adore reading. My father had a huge library and I would spend hours reading the books he had. I also write, mostly stories that seem to live in my head." Then she frowned. "I always had journals to write down my private thoughts, but they were in my valise on the other ship." The frown left her face when she asked, "What about you? It's your turn."

Jasper pondered on what to tell her. He didn't want to reveal too much, so he decided to change the subject. "How would you like to take a walk on the deck? We should be heading into the storm before nightfall so if you want to get some fresh air, now's the time for it."

The attempted maneuver to change the subject wasn't lost on Bella, but she ignored it. "Sounds good. If I wear my hair up in a hat, I shouldn't draw too much attention."

Jasper couldn't help but laugh. "I don't see how that is possible. Even in men's clothing, your curves couldn't be missed." As Bella blushed, he leaned over and lightly kissed her on top of her head. "Let's go. Jacob will be in here later to clean up."

Bella stood and took the arm Jasper offered her. He led her outside and she closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. She always loved the smell of the ocean and now was no different. Jasper couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She truly intrigued him. She was so unlike any other female he had ever met. There was no pretending with her. She had a mind of her own and she wasn't afraid to show it.

As they walked, Jasper showed her around the ship. It was all his and he was proud of it. His men were polite to Bella, but did not speak to her. Luckily, Demitri and Felix stayed out of sight. Jasper wasn't looking forward to that confrontation again. One of the men hollered at him, pointing out to the distance. Jasper walked Bella to the rail and pointed out a few whales playing in the water. Her eyes were glued to the sight. She had never seen whales in person before, much less whales jumping out of the water.

After spending the day basking in the sun, Jasper leaned over to Bella, "we should be getting back in. Because of the storm, we will be having an early supper." Bella nodded as she noticed the dark clouds coming nearer. He placed his hand on the small of her back and escorted her back to his cabin. Bella was well aware of the heat his touch created and couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. Jasper drew her closer, thinking she was feeling a chill. She didn't want to lose the connection, so she didn't say anything.

When they entered the cabin, Jacob had already set the table with their dinner and wine. Once again, they ate in comfortable silence. As soon as they finished, Jasper rose from the table and walked over to his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a book. He walked back to the table and looked at Bella. "Since you lost your other journals, I thought maybe you could start recording your inner most thoughts in a new one. A new journal for a new life?" He handed the book to Bella, who graciously accepted. It was beautifully bound in leather with the letters "JHW" engraved in the lower corner. She looked up at him, puzzled. "Those are my initials, Jasper Hale Whitlock. I wish I had one that didn't have the initials on it, but this is the best I can do."

Bella ran her fingers lightly over the letters. "It's beautiful. Thank you," she said softly.

"I'll get you something to write with so you can get started. I really need to be on deck when the storm hits. I'll be back to check on you later, ok?" he asked her. He walked back to his desk and came back with a quill pen and ink. He had a bemused look on his face. "A swan feather…who would've guessed?"

Bella couldn't help the grin that covered her face. "Yes, who would've guessed?" Then she turned serious. "Jasper, I wanted to thank you for the journal and for today. I had a wonderful time." She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him on his cheek. He held his hand to his face and nodded. "I had an enjoyable day too, Bella."

As Jasper left the room, Bella was busy writing in her new journal. She jumped when she heard the first clasp of thunder. _Shit! _ She had always hated thunder and lightning as a child, that didn't change as she got older. She changed into her shift and crawled into bed, diving under the blankets. As the storm grew, she pulled the covers over her head. Asleep, totally covered by the blanket, is the way Jasper found her when he came to check on her.


	9. Chapter 9

_As Jasper left the room, Bella was busy writing in her new journal. She jumped when she heard the first clasp of thunder. Shit! She had always hated thunder and lightning as a child, that didn't change as she got older. She changed into her shift and crawled into bed, diving under the blankets. As the storm grew, she pulled the covers over her head. That's the way Jasper found her when he came to check on her._

The sun was rising over the calm waters when Jasper finally made his way to his cabin. After a long night of fighting high winds and torrential rains, he sighed with relief that it was over. The ship didn't sustain too much damage and he knew his men could repair anything that needed it. He had asked Edward to make a list of supplies they needed since they would be stopping at the next port. With that taken care of, he only wanted to crawl into his bed.

When he opened the door, once again he was struck with the beauty that was Isabella Swan. Her dark hair fanned around her face and Jasper had to restrain himself from running his fingers through it. He stripped down and crawled underneath the blankets. He was surprised when Bella turned towards him and scooted closer, trying to absorb his body heat. She rested her head on his shoulder and flung her arm across his waist. He wrapped his arm around her and held her close. He couldn't help but think how perfect they fit together and how right it felt. He wanted to enjoy the moment but once his body relaxed, he closed his eyes and asleep quickly overtook him.

Bella opened her eyes and was shocked to find herself wrapped around Jasper. She knew he had been out all night fighting the storm so she didn't want to wake him. She laid there and allowed herself to observe him in his sleep. She stared at his face, taking in the relaxed expression he wore. She wondered how such a man who had showed nothing but his gentlemanly side could be a pirate. She couldn't help but appreciate the toned chest her arm lay across. Just the way he was built made her feel very safe. His lower half was covered by the blanket so Bella peeked under the cover so she could really check him out without him knowing. Although she had never seen a man _down there, _she couldn't imagine anyone bigger. Her face burned with embarrassment but she couldn't look away. She licked her lips, which had suddenly gone dry, as the thought of him passionately making love to her burned in her mind. She felt a sudden tingling in the pit of her stomach and quickly covered him back up. She looked back into his handsome face and remembered the things he did to her in her dream.

Still thinking about how he made her feel, she moaned to herself as she quietly got out of bed. "Where do you think you're going?" Bella whipped around at Jasper's question. He still had his eyes closed, but had an amused smile on his face.

"Oh! I didn't mean to wake you. I thought I would spend some time with Alice while you slept. Is that ok?" she asked him, buttoning up her shirt.

"That's fine. Just to warn you though, Jacob did say something about challenging you to a game of cards. He fancies himself to be quite the professional gambler," he said with a chuckle.

Bella got a thoughtful look on her face. "He does, huh? Hmmm…"

Jasper sat up and took in her look. "What are you thinking?"

Bella giggled. "Oh nothing…" she said innocently.

Jasper laid back down, laughing. "Don't be too hard on him, ok?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. As she made her way to the door, Jasper stopped her. "By the way, we're going to be stopping for supplies. You and Alice will stay here on the ship with Jacob, so if you need anything let Edward know." She frowned at the idea of being babysat, but nodded her head as she grabbed her journal and walked out the door.

She was momentarily blinded as she stepped out into the sun. It was hard to believe that not hours ago a storm raged. After her eyes adjusted to the bright light, she glanced around the ship. Her body stiffened as she spied Demitri talking to one of the crew. She narrowed her eyes and stared at him when he noticed her looking at him. She had to make herself walk to Edward's cabin and knock on the door.

"Come in," Edward invited her when he opened the door.

Bella had to smile to herself when she saw Alice sitting on the floor among yards and yards of beautiful material. "Alice?"

Alice looked up and a huge smile crossed her face. "Bella! I am so glad you're here. I wanted you to look at these drawings I made. I've got some material that would look great against your hair and skin."

Edward looked down at Alice fondly. "Alice sure is a whirlwind with her ideas. I'm sure she could open her own shop at home. The ladies will be lined up to buy her gowns."

Bella glanced between Alice and Edward. She arched her eyebrow at Alice, wondering what had happened between them. Alice just giggled at her.

Edward cleared his throat. "Well, I'll leave you ladies alone. We're going to be picking up supplies today and I've got to take an inventory of what we've got. Bella, do you need anything? Alice has already placed her order for more material, needles & thread."

Bella shook her head no. "I can't think of anything right now. Between Alice's handiwork and the clothes Jasper gave me, I'm covered there."

Edward nodded his head, placed his hand on top of Alice's head and walked out the door.

The moment he left, Bella sat on the floor next to Alice and asked her pointedly. "So Alice…what's going on between you and Edward?"

Alice stopped cutting the material and looked at Bella. "Nothing really. We really seem to get along great. We kissed once, but it just didn't seem right. How about you and Jasper?"

Bella's face turned red at the question. "Oh Alice. I don't know what's happening to me! When he touches or kisses me, I just melt. I'm afraid of the feelings I'm getting for him. He basically told me that he didn't know what he was going to with me when we get to wherever we're going. I can't let myself think of him in _that _way when I'm not for sure when it will end. I just don't want to get hurt."

Alice felt bad for her best friend. "Bella, Edward told me that Jasper was one of the most honorable men he knows. I really don't think that he would just use you and then kick you to the wayside."

Bella thought about what Alice had told her. "Oh well, it won't make a difference how much I worry about it. Like he said, it's his ship and he decides on what happens on it."

Just then there was a knock on the door. Jacob walked in when the girls yelled at him. "I've brought you girls something to eat. Just fruit this morning. We're getting ready to go ashore and get supplies. Jasper told me I was going to be staying on board with you two. I'll be back in a couple of hours." He walked towards the door and stopped. "Oh Bella…just plain Bella, I'll be bringing a deck of cards. I just wanted to warn you!" White teeth stood out against his dark skin.

"Bring it on!" Bella told him as he walked out the door. She looked at Alice, who had gone back to working on the gown. She got out her journal and pen, wanting to get all her thoughts down on paper. She always felt better after she wrote. Outside she could hear the hustle and bustle of the crew getting ready to go ashore. She heard a splash and figured it was a boat being lowered to the water. She heard some yelling and knew the landing crew was boarding, getting ready to go ashore. She wondered where they were, but put the question out of her mind. It really didn't matter. She started writing, and as always, lost track of time and space.

The silence of the cabin was interrupted when Jacob entered the room. He was carrying a deck of cards, a bottle of golden brown liquid and a glass. "What's that?" Bella asked him.

Jacob smirked at her. "It's whiskey. I figure that since we can't gamble with money, we can gamble with shots. We can play poker and the loser has to take a shot of whiskey." He noticed Bella's brows furrow together. "You're not going to back out now, are you?"

An evil grin crossed Bella's face. "Of course not. You'll have to show me how to play though. I've watched Father and his friends play, but I never have." She was a pro at playing blackjack, thanks to the help back home. She couldn't wait to make him drink shot after shot. Alice wasn't that good at cards, so Bella hoped she would just sit out.

Jacob's face lit up at Bella's words. He couldn't wait to get her drunk. _I bet she's funnier than hell when she's drunk! _he thought to himself. Out loud he assured her he would teach her and help her all he could. He explained all the winning hands and the order in which they ranked. Bella hadn't played poker that often and wrote down everything Jacob told her. She knew that she would have to turn it around so they could play blackjack.

Once she had everything wrote down, Jacob started shuffling the cards. "Alice, are you going to play?"

Alice looked at Bella, who barely shook her head. "No, I want to get this gown done so I can start on the next one. I've got plans!"

Jacob laughed and then looked at Bella. "Ok, this is how it works. We take turns dealing the deck. Dealer chooses the game, loser takes the shot. Ladies go first at dealing. Sound ok to you?"

Bella put on her most innocent face. "Sounds fine to me. I just hope I can win some hands." She took the cards from Jacob and dealt out the first cards face down and the next cards face up. I think this is called blackjack."

********************************************************************************************

Hours later, Bella couldn't feel her face, hands or feet and Jacob wasn't that much better off. Although she had made him drink a lot of shots during her blackjack games, she had also had to drink her share during the poker games. Jasper and Edward showed up just as she decided she couldn't drink any more.

Jasper glanced between Bella and Jacob, noticing that neither one could sit up straight. "Jacob? Bella? What have you two been up to?"

"Just playing cards like you said." Bella started giggling and lowered her voice to a very loud whisper, "you were right. He does fancy himself to be quite the gambler." She couldn't help but slur her words and tried to focus on Jasper. "Jasper? I didn't know you had a twin brother."

Jasper tried to hide his amusement, but he couldn't help it when the corners of his mouth started to curl up. "I don't Bella. You're drunk and seeing double." He offered his hand to her. "Let me help you up and we'll go back to my cabin."

Bella tilted her head, looked at his hand and then at his face. "Why Jasper? Jacob and I are having a wonderful time. He taught me how to play poker. Although I'm not that good at it, I am kicking his ass at blackjack."

Edward, who had remained silent since walking in his cabin, threw back his head and laughed. "This is so funny! Bella and Jacob are drunk! I'm just glad Alice didn't partake, I don't think I could handle her drunk." He looked around and, once again, fell silent as he took in the glares Alice was giving him. He noticed Bella tried, but couldn't focus in on him enough. He smiled at that thought.

Bella snorted at Edward and took the hand Jasper was still offering her. "Well! I know when I'm being laughed at." She tried to stand up but her legs just didn't want to work with her. Jasper put his arm around her waist and walked her to the door. She turned around and looked at Jacob, who was still sitting on the floor with his head in his hands. "Jacob? I had fun. We'll have to play again soon." Jacob nodded his head without looking up at her. They left the cabin and walked slowly to Jasper's.

Once Bella and Jasper entered their cabin, he helped her to the bed. When she sat down, Jasper started to turn around to get her shift. He was stopped by Bella grabbing his arm. He looked down at her, with a puzzled expression on his face. "What's wrong Bella? Let's get you changed before you pass out on me." He tried to pull away, but she wouldn't let go of him. When she didn't answer him, he gently pried her hand off his arm. He walked over to the closet, grabbed her shift and laid it beside her. Bella looked at it and back to Jasper. When she didn't move, he groaned to himself as he started to undress her. He had to keep reminding himself that she wasn't in her right mind and it would be very ungentlemanly-like to take advantage of her in that state.

Jasper unbuttoned her shirt and pushed it back over her shoulders. His cock got very hard when her breasts were revealed. He couldn't help himself from brushing his hands across her darkened nipples. A moan escaped Bella's lips and he saw that she had closed her eyes. When her nipples turned into hardened peaks, Jasper took one between his finger and thumb, gently twisting it. He got down on his knees and took the other nipple in his mouth, sucking on it. He twirled his tongue around the peak, started gently biting down on it and laving it with his tongue again. Bella felt her body arch. She reached out and put her hands in his hair, pulling him in even closer. At her touch, Jasper realized what he was doing and pulled away from her. "Bella, I am so sorry…I just couldn't help myself."

Bella opened her eyes and looked up directly into his. She glanced at the bulge in his pants, started taking her own off and smiled. "Jasper, I may be drunk, but I want this…I _really _want this."

Jasper couldn't hide the shock he felt. "Bella, when we finally make love, I want you to be fully in your right mind. I want you to feel and to know what it is to have earth-shattering, curl-your-toes sex, and I guarantee it…your toes will curl. Now, let's get you dressed and into bed. I've got a surprise that I want to show you tomorrow, ok?"

Bella let out a disappointed sigh and nodded. She put on her shift and crawled into bed. "Will you stay with me?"

Jasper knew that he needed to get out of the cabin before he went back on his word. The sight and taste of her made this almost impossible. Almost. "I've got to see to the supplies we picked up before it gets too dark, but I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

"Ok, but hurry!"

Jasper smiled as he bent down to kiss her forehead. "I'll be back before you can even miss me." He walked to the door and opened it. He took a big gulp of the night air as he closed the door, adjusting his breeches. _Now…where's that fucker Jacob!_


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N I want to thank everyone for reviewing my story and putting it on alerts and favs. I read each review and really appreciate them.**

**And as always, I own nothing…**

_Bella let out a disappointed sigh and nodded. She put on her shift and crawled into bed. "Will you stay with me?"_

_Jasper knew that he needed to get out of the cabin before he went back on his word. The sight and taste of her made this almost impossible. Almost. "I've got to see to the supplies we picked up before it gets too dark, but I'll be back as soon as I'm done."_

"_Ok, but hurry!" _

_Jasper smiled as he bent down to kiss her forehead. "I'll be back before you can even miss me." He walked to the door and opened it. He took a big gulp of the night air as he closed the door, adjusting his breeches. Now…where's that fucker Jacob!_

Jasper made his way below to the crew's quarters. He came to Jacob's door and knocked. When he didn't get an answer, he slowly opened the door. The sight before him made him laugh. Jacob lay face down across his bed, his breeches down to his knees. Jasper imagined that he had fallen while trying to get his pants off and just passed out. He thought about just leaving him there, but knew he would be sore as hell when he woke up. Jasper grabbed him by the legs and twisted him around. After a few minutes, he decided to pull his breeches up. There was no way he was going to turn him on his back so that his junk was in Jasper's view. Jacob groaned, but didn't wake up. Jasper considered waking him up so he could explain getting Bella drunk, but thought better of it. The last time anyone tried that, Jacob nearly tore the man limb to limb. Jasper decided that the explanation could wait.

Jasper went up on deck and found Edward. He was directing the men, who were stowing the supplies. Edward turned to Jasper with a shit-eating grin on his face. "I gather Jacob is still alive? I didn't hear any yelling."

Jasper returned the grin. "Yeah, it looks like he passed out while trying to get his breeches off. They made it down to his knees. I decided to wait until tomorrow before I ripped him a new one. I can't believe he got Bella drunk! Now I wish I would've stayed here instead of going ashore."

"Bella drunk is some funny shit!" Edward laughed as he remembered walking in his cabin. "I think I'd like in on their next card game."

Jasper was thinking about his own memories and felt himself getting hard again. He had came so close to doing what he'd been wanting to do to Bella since he first laid eyes on her. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "We'll be passing an island tomorrow and I was thinking that it would be a perfect time to do any repairs we need to do. We'll stop there for a couple of days."

"So Jasper…" Edward started nonchalantly, "have you thought about what's going to happen when we get home? I really don't think it's fair to keep the girls hanging. I already suggested that Alice open up a dress shop. I've seen her designs and she is really talented. I think she could be happy anywhere as long as she has material, needles and thread." He chuckled as he remembered her supply order.

Jasper thought about what Edward said. "I know it's not fair, but I'm really at a loss. Bella had said that she still wants to marry Breighton, but her eyes tell me different. I just can't imagine her being married to that ass…I don't want to imagine that. I figure I'll just take it day by day and let fate decide."

He was lost in his thoughts when Edward interrupted, "Jasper, when we get back home, I need to get a message to the General regarding the gold. I know he's going to be happy to hear from us. Last I heard, he was going from town to town recruiting soldiers. Our gold couldn't come at a better time."

Jasper knew he spoke the truth. Americans were getting fed up with King George and his minions. He and his crew had spent the last few years preying on British ships carrying gold and other treasures meant to help England's soldiers. He also knew it had been a stroke of luck meeting Demitri and Felix. The two men hated King George as much as the Americans did. They were only too happy to help in the plan to overthrow England's rule over the colonies. Jasper never fully understood what fueled their hatred, but then it didn't matter. They were willing to spy on the English and relate the information they found. He wondered how Bella would react when she found out that her father's ship had been attacked because Jasper knew Lord Swan had been using his ships to funnel money to bolster England's foothold in the colonies.

He nodded his head in reply to Edward. "The rebellion is coming near. We have to make it work, there's no other alternative. King George will make it that much harder on us if we fail." After minutes of silence, Jasper spoke up. "I'm going to go to my cabin. Tomorrow's going to be a big day. We don't have that many repairs to make, but I think the girls will be glad to set their feet on dry land for a while. Good night, Edward."

"Good night, Jasper" he replied as he returned his attention to the task at hand. He wanted to get the supplies put up and get to bed. He thought about Alice and had to smile. Although she was beautiful on the outside, he knew she was just as beautiful on the inside. She was very loyal to Bella, and to Edward, that loyalty spoke volumes. He remembered the kiss they had shared and the knowledge they both had that it wouldn't go any further. Edward felt very protective of her already and knew that feeling would only grow before they finally reached home. He was more than willing to help her open her dress shop if that was what she wanted to do. At least he had it easier than Jasper. He shook his head when he thought about what his cousin, and best friend, was going to have to endure when he got home. Maria was a total bitch and would not be happy to know a younger, more beautiful girl had shared his cabin. Although he hadn't known Bella long, he knew she wouldn't take any shit from Maria and that thought put a smile on his face. He never thought Maria was worthy of Jasper. She was a vindictive bitch, but managed to hide that part of her from Jasper. _This is going to be good and I sure am glad I've got a front seat for the show!_

_********************************************************************************************_

Bella woke up the next morning feeling like shit. She felt like drums were beating in her head and her mouth full of cotton. Jasper felt her move underneath his arm and opened his eyes. She groaned out loud. "Uuugggghhhh…remind me never to do that again!"

Jasper couldn't help but chuckle. "Drinking too much is a hard lesson to learn, but it will get better." He got out of bed and walked to his desk, not bothering to put any clothes on. Bella couldn't take her eyes off of him. He grabbed a bottle of brandy out of one of the drawers and poured some in a snifter. "Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better."

"You have got to be kidding me! I am not drinking anymore liquor."

"Trust me Bella. This is what we call the hair-of-the-dog. It will calm the pounding in your head…I promise." He held out the snifter to her, waiting for her to take it.

She took it and downed it all in one gulp. She immediately began choking and trying to catch her breath. Once the fire settled in her stomach, she could feel the warmth move through her veins. She looked up at Jasper with tears in her eyes and stiffened her back at the amusement she saw in his face. "What?" she demanded.

Jasper shook his head and reached for his clothes. "I should have warned you, but I really thought you would just nurse the drink."

"Hmph…" Bella primly stuck her nose up in the air and turned to gather her clothes. As she started putting on the breeches and shirt, she kept sneaking glances over at a very naked Jasper. She just couldn't get enough of his fine physique.

The ogling of his body was not lost on Jasper. "You know, if you really want to look at me without any clothes on, all you have to do is ask."

Although Bella knew her face was flaming red, she tried to hide her embarrassment. She slowly looked up and down Jasper's body and winked at him. "I'll remember that." She finished getting dressed and headed out the door. She really didn't want to go anywhere but back to bed, but she couldn't stay in the cabin after getting caught by Jasper.

Jasper watched her retreating body in shock. He regained his composure and laughed to himself. _What a cheeky girl she is_ he thought to himself. He pulled his clothes on and went out the door to find Jacob. He had something special planned for Bella and he wanted to make sure everything was ready.

She spied Jacob walking very slowly on the deck. When his eyes met hers, she couldn't help but smirk at him. _Serves him right! It was his idea to gamble with shots of whiskey. _She knocked on Edward's door and entered when she heard Alice yell out at her. She went in and sank into the nearest chair. She looked around but didn't see Edward. "Alice…why did you let me drink so much last night?"

Alice started laughing. "Oh Bella! There wasn't anything I could do or say to stop you. You were hell-bent on beating him. I've got to admit, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. A drunk Jacob was funnier than a drunk Bella!"

"Alice! I practically threw myself at Jasper when we got back to our cabin. I thought I was winning until he pulled away. There I was, drunk and begging for him to take me and he just rejected me." Bella looked down at her hands laying in her lap.

The fact that Bella had said 'our cabin' was not lost on Alice. She walked over to Bella and put her arm around her. "Bella, did you ever stop to think it wasn't him rejecting you per se, he was just rejecting the circumstances. What kind of gentleman would he be if he ravaged you while you were drunk?"

Bella snorted. "You really like the word 'ravage', don't you? I don't know what it's going to take to make him give me what I want."

Alice's blue eyes shone with glee. "Bella, you don't know how long I've waited for you to realize you are a female with needs. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I've seen the way he looks at you and I can almost promise you it won't be long."

"He said something about a surprise today. Maybe that's what it is. He's going to finally make me a woman!" Bella laughed.

Alice gave her a big hug. "You know Bella, Edward did say something about Jasper being excited about the surprise, so you could be right. I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for you. I know you're inexperienced, so if there's anything you want to know, you can ask me."

Bella flushed. "I've got questions about everything. I know it'll hurt, but how bad?"

"It will only hurt for a few minutes. If Jasper is the gentleman I think he is, he will give you time to adjust to him."

Bella remembered his huge cock and her eyes went wide. "Oh my gosh Alice. He's huge! What if it doesn't fit?"

Alice started giggling. "Oh lucky you!" At Bella's scowl, she continued, "Bella, it will fit, trust me. It might be a little tricky at first, but don't worry about it. I'm sure Jasper will get you so worked up you won't even notice."

"I won't know what I'm doing. What if I just lay there?"

Alice almost rolled on the floor laughing. "If that happens, Jasper's not doing it right." Bella just scowled at her. "Ok, let me ask you this. When he kisses you, how do **you** feel?"

Bella thought back to the times they had kissed. She remembered the tight feeling she got in the pit of her stomach & the wetness between her legs. She had wanted to rub her thighs together to get some friction going. When she recalled Jasper saying something about earth-shattering, toe-curling orgasms, her face turned red. "Ok, I see your point."

Alice grabbed her hands and looked directly in Bella's eyes. "Really, Bella, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Just remember to relax and let your body feel what its feeling."

Bella didn't know if Alice was right, but she had learned long ago to never bet against her best friend. She started biting her lower lip and nodded. Suddenly she heard yelling from outside and pulled Alice with her to the door. They stood outside, looked around and then at each other. "I wonder where we are. This can't be the colonies already." Bella looked ahead of her, the first thing capturing her attention were the trees. Tall trees with leaves shooting off the top of them. She really couldn't land because they were too far away, but she strained her eyes trying to see anyway. She saw Jasper shouting out orders and tried to get his attention. He finally noticed her and walked over. "Jasper, what's going on? Where are we?"

**A/N sorry for the cliffie, but I wanted to get this posted. The whole island adventure will be posted tomorrow. I'm already halfway thru with it and believe me, it will be worth the long wait! lol **

**If you have any suggestions or complaints, please let me know. **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N ok, so this is the chapter everyone has been waiting on. All the teasing is over! ;D please just remember that this is my first lemon and I am so fucking nervous about it! **

**A/N I own nothing**

_Bella didn't know if Alice was right, but she had learned long ago to never bet against her best friend. She started biting her lower lip and nodded. Suddenly she heard yelling from outside and pulled Alice with her to the door. They stood outside, looked around and then at each other. "I wonder where we are. This can't be the colonies already." Bella looked ahead of her, the first thing capturing her attention were the trees. Tall trees with leaves shooting off the top of them. She really couldn't land because they were too far away, but she strained her eyes trying to see anyway. She saw Jasper shouting out orders and tried to get his attention. He finally noticed her and walked over. "Jasper, what's going on? Where are we?"_

Jasper looked out over the ocean and back to Bella. "We're going to stop for a few days so we can make repairs to the ship. I thought we could take our boat to the island. I figured you two would really enjoy having dry land under your feet."

Bella and Alice squealed. Bella threw her arms around his neck and gave him quick kisses all over his face. Jasper laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "I'll take that as a yes. I'm going to pack some food so can you two gather up blankets and pillows? We'll be staying overnight on the island."

Alice poked Bella in the side with her elbow. Bella turned to her and had to laugh. Alice was wiggling her eyebrows and had a shit-eating grin plastered across her face. She turned back to Jasper and saw that he had noticed the expression on Alice's face. He looked down at Bella and raised his eyebrow. She stood up on her tip-toes and whispered in his ear. "Don't mind Alice. I think all these days at sea has finally gotten to her."

Jasper laughed at the blank expression on Alice's face. "Ok, you better start gathering the stuff we'll need. We'll be leaving for the island shortly." He placed his hands on Bella's shoulders, turned her toward the cabin and swatted her on her ass. "Get going." He turned and walked away.

Bella turned her head towards Jasper, shocked that he had touched her like that in front of Alice and anyone else who may have been looking. It's not like it bothered her that Alice had seen it, but she sure didn't want any of his men to have witnessed it. Alice leaned over to her, "Bella, it's ok. No one saw." Alice knew her best friend too well. Bella rolled her eyes and entered the cabin to get pillows and blankets. She exited the room and met Alice outside the doors. Her arms were piled so high with pillows and blankets, Bella couldn't see her face. Edward was laughing as he took everything from the girls. "Follow me," he told them. They walked over to the side of the ship and saw that Jasper was already waiting in the boat. Edward handed the bundles to him and helped the girls in. After he got in, the crew pushed the boat out and lowered it to the water. Bella and Alice held hands until they actually hit water. Bella looked down into the blue water and ran her hand through it. She sighed and sat back as Jasper and Edward rowed toward the island. Alice started bouncing around in her seat, making the boat rock. Edward placed his hand on her arm to calm her down. She smiled sheepishly at him and finally sat still.

Bella had her eyes closed, enjoying the sun beating down on her face. She was so lost in the moment, she didn't notice them landing on the island's shore. Her eyes popped open when she heard the bottom of the boat scraping against the sand. She grabbed Alice's hand and jumped into the water. The girls were so excited to finally feel solid ground beneath their feet they couldn't stop jumping around, splashing each other. Jasper and Edward gave them a few minutes and then got their attention.

Jasper spoke first. "Bella, I thought we could set up camp on the other side of the island. It's not that far and I figure we'll be out of sight so you girls can swim. We brought canvas to give us shelter."

"Jasper, whatever you want to do is fine. I'm just so damn glad to feel the sand between my toes!" She wiggled her toes in the sand just to prove her point.

He laughed at her excitement. "Ok, well you two need to get back in this boat so we can row over there. We've got too much stuff to carry for a hike."

Bella and Alice pouted at the same time, but got into the boat anyway. Soon the boat was scraping bottom again and Edward jumped out first. Jasper handed him everything they had brought while the girls jumped into the water. When everything was unloaded, Jasper got out and pushed the boat on the shore.

Bella gasped when she took in the beauty of the island. "Oh Jasper! This is beautiful! I imagine this is what heaven must look like." She threw her head back, closed her eyes as she held her arms out and began twirling around.

Jasper watched her for a few minutes with a tender smile on his face. He knew she would enjoy this. "Bella, when you're done there, we need to set everything up. We can eat and then go swimming, if you'd like."

Just like Jasper had said, the four of them spent the rest of the day setting up their shelter, fixing their dinner & swimming. Bella and Alice were laying on the sand, enjoying the sun. A shadow crossed Bella's face and she opened her eyes. Jasper was standing over her. In his arms he carried blankets, pillows and a basket. He reached out his hand to Bella. "It's going to be getting dark soon so we need to get our sleeping arrangements situation. Edward and Alice are going to be staying here, but I thought we would go to a little place I found. Sound ok to you?"

Bella felt Alice elbow her in her side. She rolled her eyes at her but she still had her eyes closed and missed the effort. She looked back at Jasper and smiled. "Sounds wonderful." She took Jasper's hand and stood up. He kept her hand in his and started walking towards the trees.

"Have you ever been here before?" Bella asked him. She wondered how he had found this special place.

He glanced over at her. "Yes, this is a good place to relax after our trips before heading home."

Bella thought about his answer and decided to keep her questions for later. Before long, Jasper stopped and turned to her. "Close your eyes and hold on to me. I want to see your face when you see my secret hideaway." Bella did what he said and smiled to herself when she held his arm close to her. They continued walking a short ways when Bella heard water. "Ok, you can open your eyes now."

Bella opened her eyes and felt her jaw drop. She had only thought the beach was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. It didn't hold a candle to what was before her now. The water she had heard was from a waterfall rushing down the side of a mountain, pooling in a natural lagoon. Huge rocks surrounded the lagoon giving it a sense of privacy. Plants Bella had never seen before grew everywhere, some of them taller than Jasper. A grassy clearing sat off to the side of the lagoon, purple and yellow wildflowers growing everywhere. Bella turned to Jasper with wide eyes. He chuckled and gently closed her mouth with this finger. "Beautiful, yes?"

"Oh. My. God." Bella was overcome by the beauty of the place. She couldn't stop herself from looking all around. Jasper dropped their stuff and walked with her to the waterfall. He lifted her up on one of the rocks and sat down by her. "Jasper, I never knew places like this existed. No wonder you keep it a secret."

"I was hoping you would feel the same way I do about this place." He sighed and added softly, "It's so tranquil…makes it easy to forget the outside world and all its problems."

Bella leaned back on her elbows and closed her eyes. "Mmmm…I could stay here forever." As she lay completely on her back, Jasper was once again taken in by her beauty. He relaxed on his side, his head propped up by his hand. He caressed Bella's face with the back of his other hand, slowly bringing it down her cheek. He ran his thumb across her lips, remembering the passionate kiss they had shared. Bella parted her lips and leaned into his hand. Jasper looked up to her eyes, only to find them staring deeply into his own. Dark brown eyes meeting slate colored eyes. "Jasper…" she whispered softly. Jasper gave her a gentle smile and reached for her hand. "Let's get our bed ready, ok darlin'? It'll be dark soon." He lifted her up and carried her down to the ground. It wasn't long before they had a thick pallet of blankets down on the soft grass. Jasper grabbed the basket of food and set out some dried meat, fruit and wine. He grinned at Bella, "It's not as good as Jacob's cooking, but it'll do." Bella gave Jasper a smile, "It's perfect."

Once they were done eating, Jasper gently pulled Bella into his arms and laid on the blankets, propped up by the pillows. She snuggled into his side, her head lying on his chest, breathing in the sandalwood scent that belonged only to Jasper. Bella knew that for as long as she lived, she would always remember his smell. Wrapped up in his strong arms, she felt safe and at peace. She felt his face in her hair and knew he was breathing in her scent too.

"Jasper, can I ask you something?" Jasper was a paradox in her mind and she needed to know more about him.

He paused for a few seconds before answering her. "Sure darlin'. What's on that beautiful mind of yours?"

She looked up at him, biting her lip. She wasn't for sure how to ask, so she decided to just dive in. "I'm having a very hard time reconciling the pirate who plundered my father's ship, killing everyone on board and kidnapping Alice and me to the man laying here next to me. It just doesn't match up. Which one is the true Jasper Whitlock?"

Jasper started running his fingers through her hair, bringing one of the curls to his face. "Bella, I don't know how much I can tell you without putting all of us in danger. My men look to me to protect them and I can't betray that trust."

"I know we haven't known each other long, but you can trust me. I won't tell anyone, I swear on everything I hold dear in my life," she quietly told him. She wanted him to trust her, just like she had to trust him with her and Alice's life.

Jasper looked deep into her eyes, and seeing the truth there, he nodded his head. He held Bella tighter to him and began. "Bella, have you heard of the colonist's unrest and anger towards England?" At her nod, he continued. "Well, we're trying to build up our army and navy to fight for our freedom. To do that, we need lots of gold. That's where the piracy comes in at. We only attack ships we know are carrying gold. We have to fire the ships and everyone on board so there are no witnesses. It's not like we're the kind of pirates your parents warn you about. We are on a mission and to us, it's worth risking our freedom and lives to complete our mission. We don't do it for greed, we do it to free ourselves and our future generations from the tyranny of King George."

Bella was silent for a few minutes and then remembered something. "So Demitri and Felix were spies? They knew there was gold on our ship and notified you." Then Bella realized something else and couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes. "My father knew ships were being plundered, but he still used me to sneak gold to the British soldiers in the colonies. How could he do that?"

Jasper gently raised her chin so he could look in her eyes. "Bella, I can't understand your father's reasoning in sending you across the ocean to marry someone like Breighton, so I can't answer your question. But I do have one of my own. You told me once that you wanted to marry Breighton, is that still true?" Jasper didn't know if he wanted to hear her answer, but he knew it was important if their relationship was to go any further.

Bella couldn't meet Jasper's gaze. "Jasper, when I told you that, I was so pissed at everything that had happened. It seemed like my life was spiraling out of control so fast I couldn't catch my breath. Not only my life, but Alice's life was affected too. She had only come with me because I was scared to make the trip by myself. It was my fault she was in our predicament." She looked up, letting her eyes roam slowly up his face until she met his eyes. "I never wanted to marry Lord Breighton. In fact, Alice and I were hoping to get 'lost', so to speak. That way we could start a new life and I wouldn't have to get married and, as my father said, bear his children." She couldn't help but shiver at the thought.

All of a sudden, Bella was staring straight up into Jasper's eyes. She noticed that they were a dark blue instead of the slate gray color. He held her face in his hands, staring at her lips. He brought his lips down gently to hers and ran his tongue slowly across her lips, asking for entrance. When he felt her part her lips, his tongue entered her mouth. He groaned as he tasted her, still as sweet as he remembered. She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his long wavy hair and tried to pull him closer than he was. Her tongue caressed his, and when he felt her tongue enter his mouth, he began gently sucking on it. Bella moaned at the new sensation and although she never wanted to stop, she was out of breath. Jasper pulled away from her lips and slowly made his way to her neck. He planted light kisses down her throat as she panted, trying to get enough air.

Jasper turned so he was halfway laying on her, leaving their hands free to explore each other. He unbuttoned her shirt, freeing her breasts. Bella gasped as the night air hit her nipples, turning them into hardened peaks. Jasper lowered his mouth to take one in, gently twirling it with his tongue. He alternated between sucking and nibbling, using his hand to massage her other breast, twisting and pulling on the hardened tip. The combination of his mouth and hand caused Bella to arch her back. "Oh…my…God…Jasper…" she was all she could manage.

Jasper smiled to himself, his heart swelling with pride. He knew Bella was a virgin and wanted to make this experience as memorable and pleasurable for her as he could. He continued planting kisses on the underside of her breasts and on her stomach. Bella fisted her hands in his hair, not knowing whether to pull him up or push him down. When Jasper stopped at the top of her breeches, she looked down at him. He was looking at her and she knew he was asking her permission to continue. She nodded her head, giving him a nervous smile. He returned a warm smile and gently pulled them down and off.

Bella tried to cover herself, feeling very exposed to Jasper's gaze. "Darlin' don't do that. You are much too beautiful to be embarrassed. I know you're nervous, but don't be. Just feel what your body is telling you…let it feel good." He leaned back up to kiss her lips, ghosting her body with his hands. His tongue explored her mouth as his hands explored her body. As his hand reached her mound, he felt her stiffen. "Relax, baby. I promise it'll feel good." He continued gently kissing her. When he felt her relax, he ran his finger up and down her folds, before pressing between them. _Oh my God! She is so wet! _He felt himself get even harder, but knew he had to take his time. His finger circled her clit and slowly entered her. He waited for her to adjust to the intrusion and when she started moving, he thrust his finger in and out.

_OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod! _Bella couldn't stop her hips from rocking to the feel of Jasper's finger inside of her. She felt him insert another finger in her and the feeling intensified. All of a sudden she felt a pressure in her lower abdomen.

As Jasper felt her walls tighten, he pressed his thumb against her clit and gently bit down on her nipple. Bella lifted her body off of the ground and came hard, her juices running in his hand. He didn't stop pumping her until she came down from her orgasm.

"Jasper…that…was…amazing!" she said in between gasping for air. She felt like she should've be embarrassed, but she wasn't. She watched Jasper move his hand to his mouth and lick his fingers, goosebumps running up and down her body.

Jasper gave her an evil smile. "Oh darlin', you haven't seen anything yet!" He moved between her legs and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this? Once I start, I don't think I'll be able to stop."

Bella started to feel nervous again. "I…I don't know what I'm supposed to do. What if I don't please you?"

Jasper took her face in his hands. "Bella, I know you've never done this before and I'm not worried, so why should you? Just do whatever you feel like doing, I'm sure anything you do will be pleasing. Remember to let your body feel."

Bella felt more sure of herself and nodded. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "I want a kiss." As she smashed his lips to hers, she ran her tongue around his lips. When he parted his lips, she ran her tongue across his teeth and twirled it around his tongue. She ran her hands down his back and around to his abdomen. She reached between them and tried to push his breeches down. Jasper chuckled against her mouth and pulled away. As he stood and took them off, he heard Bella take in a deep breath. He looked at her wide eyes, noticing they were staring at his hardened cock. Usually he was proud of his size, but now he knew it was scaring her.

"Bella…" he slowly kneeled between her legs.

Bella's eyes moved from his cock to his eyes. "It's so huge! What if it doesn't fit?"

Jasper had to hide his smile; he knew this was a real concern of hers. "I'm not going to lie to you, it will hurt at first. But it's not because of my size, it always hurts the first time. I promise you that I will be gentle and go slow, ok? We'll go as slow as you need." Jasper waited until Bella nodded and then began kissing her again. He moved his hand to her folds and started stroking her. When her hips started rocking, he grasped his hard cock and ran the head up and down her folds. He positioned himself at her entrance and slowly pushed. When he reached her barrier, he pulled himself away from her lips and whispered to her. "Just relax darlin'. I'll do this quick." He pressed his lips back to hers and pushed through the barrier. Jasper groaned as he felt how tight she was. He had to force himself to hold still so Bella could adjust to this new intrusion.

Bella drew in a shuddering breath and held it. She couldn't believe the pain and she was sure it would never get any better. She felt Jasper kissing the tears that fell down her cheeks.

"Breath, Bella. Take deep breaths and relax your muscles," he whispered in her ear, placing little wet kisses along her jaw and down her neck. When he felt her moving under him, he pulled almost all the way out and slowly pushed back in. He continued moving slowly until he heard her moan. He began thrusting a little faster, but still pulling almost all the way out. He wanted her to feel all of him, over and over. He wanted to feel her wrapped around him, over and over. "Darlin', you feel so good, so tight!"

Bella couldn't believe how good he felt. She couldn't believe how good she felt, all filled with him. She couldn't have kept still if she wanted to. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. She gasped as she felt him go even deeper. She bucked her hips trying to make him move faster. "Faster Jasper!"

"Whatever you want baby," he groaned as sat back on his knees. He wrapped his arms under her thighs, pushing her knees to her chest and began thrusting harder and faster. "Look down darlin'." He hoped that Bella would like watching him move in and out of her as much as he did. When he saw her breathing even harder than she was, he knew he was right.

With this new position, Jasper was hitting her special spot. "Jasper! I…I…" Bella panted in his ear.

"Look in my eyes baby!" Jasper reached between them and pinched her clit. Bella felt her body give a hard shudder and her toes curl as she screamed his name, reaching her earth-shattering orgasm. Jasper was so right!

As soon as Bella screamed his name and began milking his cock, Jasper couldn't hold back anymore. He let out a growl as he reached his own orgasm, the hardest one he could ever remember having.

He continued slowing thrusting as he brought them both down from their high. He rolled over on his side, pulling Bella with him, still inside her. With his arms wrapped around her and her head on his shoulder, he pushed her sweat-drenched hair out of her face, placing kisses all over her face.

Bella was still panting, trying to catch her breath. "Jasper, I never imagined…I never knew…" She couldn't find the words to describe how she was feeling.

Jasper chucked into her hair. "I know the feeling darlin'. Making love has never felt as intense as it did with you. Your body is so responsive; I can't wait to further your education."

Bella giggled as she felt herself falling asleep. "I can't wait to learn. You kept your promise."

Jasper smiled. Feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time, he closed his eyes and soon followed Bella in sleep.

.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N just wanted to thank everyone for their reviews. Honestly I was a little afraid to read them, but you all made my day! Wanda…you rock!!!**

**As always, I own nada…**

_Bella was still panting, trying to catch her breath. "Jasper, I never imagined…I never knew…" She couldn't find the words to describe how she was feeling._

_Jasper chucked into her hair. "I know the feeling Darlin'. Making love has never felt as intense as it did with you. Your body is so responsive; I can't wait to further your education."_

_Bella giggled as she felt herself falling asleep. "I can't wait to learn. You kept your promise."_

_Jasper smiled. Feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time, he closed his eyes and soon followed Bella in sleep._

Bella woke up with the sun beating down on her face. She slowly opened one eye and then the other. She tried to move, but strong arms were wrapped around her body, her back pressed up against Jasper's chest. Memories of making love the night before flooded her mind and she was suddenly embarrassed. Embarrassed when she remembered how she had lost total control under Jasper's expertise in lovemaking. She couldn't help the moan that worked itself up her throat and out her mouth. How would she ever be able to face him, or anyone else for that matter, again?

Jasper heard her moan and figured she was dwelling in her embarrassment. "Don't. There's no reason for you to feel any shame in what we did. Bella, what we shared last night was very special. We are two adults who are attracted to each other and there's nothing wrong with us showing it." He tightened his arms around her and pulled her even closer to him. He pressed his face in her hair and deeply inhaled. Even if he never saw her again, her scent would stay with him for the rest of his life.

Bella turned in his arms so she was face to face with him. "Jasper, I always thought I'd lose my virginity to my husband, sharing that level of intimacy with my soulmate." She saw a sudden flash of hurt cross his face so she rushed to finish her thought. "Please let me finish! I can't help but be embarrassed. The way I carried on…" she lowered her eyes, unable to look at him in the eyes.

Jasper gently lifted her chin. "Bella, look at me." Although she knew her face was a deep shade of red, she lifted her eyes to his, getting lost in his beautiful slate eyes. "Every sound you made, every move you made, was beautiful and natural. You were so stunning, you took my breath away." He leaned in to press his lips against hers. He was shocked when he felt her soft tongue trace his lips. He smiled at her bravery as he granted her entrance. Her exquisite taste exploded in his mouth as her tongue explored his mouth. He rolled them over so he was laying on her, keeping his weight on his forearms. He took her face in his hands and peppered soft kisses across her forehead, cheeks, eyes and nose. He ghosted his lips across hers and pulled back a few inches. "Beautiful…" his voice was a whisper.

Bella realized she was holding her breath and loudly exhaled. "Jasper, I just want you to know that I don't regret anything that we did last night. I never imagined it could be so…intense. I always heard of people risking everything for such passion, but to witness it first hand, I totally understand now." She shyly smiled at him.

Jasper nodded his head and returned the smile. Having had vast experience in pleasing women, he was proud that he could put that experience to good use. He stood up and reached out to Bella. "Do you want to go swimming and clean up? The fresh water will be a welcome change to bathing in salt water."

Bella took his hand and let him help her up. When she looked down, a blush ran across her face. Traces of blood streaked her inner thighs. "Ughh…"

Jasper looked at where she was staring and smiled, a flash of understanding crossing his face. "It's ok, Bella. Just proof your maidenhead was still intact. Come on, we'll wash it off." He placed his hand at the small of her back and escorted her to the waterfall. He took his shirt and ripped it into makeshift washcloths. He jumped in the lagoon and helped her in.

"Ahhh…" Bella moaned as she sank into the warm water, "this feels so good!" She closed her eyes and let the water relax her sore muscles. She took one of the rags Jasper handed her and began to wash off her body, making sure to scrub her thighs to get all the blood off. When she was done, she laid on her back, floating across the water. She turned to look at Jasper and once again, got lost in the magnificence that was Jasper Whitlock.

Jasper had his back to Bella, using a cloth to wash his body. Bella couldn't take her eyes off of the muscles that rippled across his back. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder at Bella. He noticed the lust that was so apparent in her eyes. He slowly swam over to her and pulled her to the rocks. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her up, sitting her on the edge of a huge, water-worn rock. He lifted one of her legs and started kissing it, beginning at her ankle. He continued up her leg, leaving little wet kisses in his wake. When he got to her inner thigh, he barely grazed over her mound, making Bella take in a shuddering breath. Nobody had ever gotten that close and personal before. Bella knew she should be embarrassed, but she wasn't. She stared down at Jasper's blonde head, watching him make a downward descent to her other ankle. When he reached it, he gazed up into her deep brown eyes, smiling. "Are you ready for lesson number two, Darlin'?" When she nodded her head, he slowly made his way back to the treasure between her legs. He nuzzled his face in her tight curls, breathing deep and letting out a deep groan. "God, Bella! You smell so good!"

Bella was leaning back on her hands, determined not to feel any embarrassment, only the pleasure that Jasper could give her. She wasn't for sure what it was that he was going to do, but she was full of anticipation, knowing it would be good. She sat up and wove her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. She couldn't help the loud moan as she felt Jasper run his finger up and down her folds. He used his fingers to separate the folds as he leaned back in and ran his tongue between them. Bella felt her back arch as she pulled his head closer to her. He used the tip of his tongue to tease her clit as he inserted one finger into her wet core. He gently sucked on her clit as he slowly thrust his finger in and out, keeping time to the sucking of her bundle of nerves.

Bella leaned back on her hands again and brought her feet to the edge of the rock. Jasper began massaging the inside of her thighs, pushing them further apart. She drew in a deep breath in as she felt him gently blow across her folds. He used his tongue to circle her clit while he reinserted his finger inside her. He pushed his finger in and twisted it out as he nibbled on her nub. Using her feet on the rock as leverage, Bella couldn't stop lifting her hips, meeting every thrust from Jasper's finger. She wasn't for sure what she was supposed to be doing, but she did know that she didn't want Jasper to stop. Jasper gently held her down with one arm as he inserted another finger, never missing a beat with his mouth.

Bella couldn't catch her breath as Jasper quickened the thrusting, twisting his fingers on the way in and curling them on the way out. "Jasper…" gasp "that…" gasp "feels…" gasp "so…" gasp "damn…" gasp "good…" gasp. A

tightening began in the pit of her stomach, like a coil being wound up tight. As Jasper felt her walls beginning to clench around his fingers, he gently bit down on her clit. All of a sudden, Bella senses exploded around her. She threw her head back, eyes squeezed tight as she screamed out Jasper's name. She began milking his fingers, her juices filling his hands. Jasper slowed his ministrations, allowing Bella to slowly come down. Once she calmed down, he removed his fingers and kissed her clit, causing a shudder to run through her body. She sat up and watched Jasper put his fingers to his lips, licking them clean.

Bella had never seen anything so erotic as the sight of Jasper running his tongue along his fingers. She grabbed him by his hair and pulled him towards her. She smashed her lips against his, tasting herself on him. Jasper lifted her up off the rock and down the front of his body. He turned his body so his back was to the rocks. Bella wrapped her legs around his waist as she felt his hard cock enter her. A thrill ran through her as she watched Jasper's eyes roll in the back of his head as he felt himself sheathed inside her. He grabbed her ass and started lifting her up and down on him. Bella stilled his arms as she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned back and began rolling her hips against him. After everything he had done to her and for her, she wanted to return the favor. She felt his pelvic bone rub against her clit, groaning at the exquisite feeling the friction caused, and started moving faster. "Cum with me Bella," Jasper growled as he reached between them and pinched her nub. The crash of the water falling into the lagoon had nothing on the crash of ecstasy that threw them both over the edge. Bella's hips slowed down as she continued to milk Jasper's cock. He held her gently to him, running his hands through her hair. He peppered kisses on her face as she finally stilled.

Bella laid her head in the crook of Jasper's neck, pulling at the curls laying there. They both were trying to stop their panting, to catch a breath. After a few minutes, Jasper leaned back and looked at Bella. "Baby, are you ok?"

Bella gazed into his eyes and could only smile and nod her head.

Jasper grinned at her. "Toe-curling?"

Once again, Bella smiled and nodded her head.

**A/N well…there you go! This seems to be getting easier! ;D please review and let me know what you thought. I've been asked about another Edward/Alice POV, but I really don't have any idea of what to do with them. If anyone would like to write one, I'll gladly put it in my story & give full credit where credit is due.**

**Review, review, review!!!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything…**

_Bella laid her head in the crook of Jasper's neck, pulling at the curls laying there. They both were trying to stop their panting, to catch a breath. After a few minutes, Jasper leaned back and looked at Bella. "Baby, are you ok?" _

_Bella gazed into his eyes and could only smile and nod her head. _

_Jasper grinned at her. "Toe-curling?"_

_Once again, Bella smiled and nodded her head. _

As Jasper pulled out of Bella, she whimpered at the loss. He brushed his lips against hers, "Are you hungry? We can finish up what's left and then explore a little of you want."

Bella pulled his face closer to hers and kissed him back. All of a sudden, she put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him underwater. When Jasper broke through the water, he shook his hair out and gave her a smirk. "So that's how it's going to be, huh? Here I'm trying to be the gentleman my mama taught me to be and you go and try to drown me? I don't think so!" With that look on his face, Bella knew she was in trouble. She turned and tried to swim away but didn't get far. She felt Jasper grab her ankle and pull her back towards him, this time it was her turn to go under. Bella rose out of the water, sputtering as she pushed her hair off of her face. When she was able to breathe again, she held out her hands. "Truce?"

Jasper grabbed her hands and pulled her towards him. "So you can dish it out, but you can't take it?"

Bella smiled innocently at him. "Something like that…" She pushed away from him and swam towards the crashing water. Jasper chuckled, swimming after her. When he reached her, he pulled her under the waterfall and pressed his body against hers. He held her as the water fell over their bodies. Bella sighed as the natural jets massaged her body. She tightened her grip around his neck, wrapped her legs around his waist and held on.

"Now…as I was saying, are you ready to eat?" Bella felt his chest vibrate as he spoke in her ear. She realized how ravenous she was and nodded her head. She let loose of his body and started to swim towards the rocks. Jasper got out and leaned over to offer his hand. Bella reached out for it and, before Jasper caught on, pulled him back in. She scrambled up a huge rock and took off running, laughing. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him catching up to her and pushed herself to go faster. She let out a loud scream when she felt his arms wrap around her waist and spin her around.

"Bella…Bella…Bella…when will you ever learn?" Jasper smirked as he tackled her to the ground. He positioned her so she was trapped under his body. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "what are you going to do now, Darlin'?"

Bella shivered as she felt his warm breath on her neck. She looked up into his face and smiled. "Truce?"

Jasper threw back his head and laughed loudly. "You, Isabella Swan, are a minx! Underneath that innocent face lies a very conniving mind. You're just lucky that my need for nourishment is overpowering my need for revenge." He rolled off of her and began to stand up. He hesitated and with an arched eyebrow, held out his hand to her. Bella gave him a huge smile and let him help her to her feet. They walked hand-in-hand to their blankets, picking up their clothing. After getting dressed, they sat down getting the fruit and wine out of the basket.

After they had eaten, Jasper pulled her down to lay by his side. He wrapped his arms around her and Bella rested her head on his shoulder. They laid there in comfortable silence, the only noise being the sound of the waterfall and nature. Bella closed her eyes and thought about everything that had happened to her. It seemed impossible that so much had happened in such a short amount of time. She thought about Jasper attacking ships for gold that would be used to fight her country. That thought led to her father. He had to have known how dangerous it was to send her across the ocean with all that gold. She still couldn't believe he would use her to camouflage his plan. She thought about Jasper and the pull she felt towards him. She was confused at her feelings and wondered how he felt about her. The idea of him using her and then throwing her away truly scared her. She wondered about his personal life. Surely someone as handsome and caring as he was had someone waiting for him at home. She was surprised to feel jealous of the woman that held his heart in her hands. She calmed herself down, deciding that she would corner Jasper and find out if there was someone.

Jasper watched the many emotions cross Bella's face and wondered what she was thinking about. He was amazed that this woman had found a way into his heart, a heart that he had carefully maintained a wall around. For years he had not let himself get too involved with a woman. He would enjoy the company of a female, but when the word love was spoken, he couldn't help but back off. He used them for sex, but always made sure they got their sexual release too. This reasoning made his actions ok in his mind. He knew he wanted a woman to share his love and life with, but he also knew that his judgment in women could not be trusted. Maria had taught him that. Maria, his ex-fiancé, he should have listened to his family. Instead, he had almost alienated them from his life when they warned him about her. Rosalie and Edward had all but tied him to a chair when he refused to listen to them. Slowly everything they were telling him registered in his brain. Maria had been unfaithful to him, not just once but over a course of time. Jasper knew, even after all these years, he had not gotten over the betrayal. His brain told him that not all women were as evil as Maria, Esme and Rose were proof to that, but his heart just couldn't take the risk.

Jasper knew then what he would do with Bella and Alice. He would just let them go. When his ship landed at home, he would give them enough money to begin their new lives and set them on their way. He was relieved when Bella told him that she didn't want to marry Breighton and about their plan to 'get lost'. He would help them. Edward seemed sure Alice could start her own clothing shop and he knew Bella was intelligent enough to do whatever she wanted. He sighed when he thought about the day they would separate and held her tighter. He decided that until then, he would enjoy the time they had together.

The sun was moving across the sky and Jasper knew they had to start back to where Edward and Alice were. He nuzzled his face in Bella's hair. "Bella, we need to head back. I'm sure Alice is wondering what has happened to you."

Bella thought about all the questions she would be bombarded with and groaned. "Can't we just stay here forever?"

Jasper chuckled and placed kisses along her neck. "Darlin', as tempting as that sounds, we really need to get back."

Bella nodded her head and went to stand up. Jasper helped her up and handed her the basket. He rolled the pillows up in the blankets and held them under his arm. He offered her his other arm and smiled when she wrapped herself around it. "Jasper, thank you for last night and today. No matter what happens in the future, I will always remember this."

Jasper looked down into her deep brown eyes and kissed her on her forehead. "Baby, the pleasure was all mine…well, it wasn't all mine…" When he winked at her, Bella could feel the blush rise up to her face. "Honestly Bella, it was an experience I will never forget either. Come on, there's something I want to do." When she gave him a confused look, he gently smiled at her. "You'll see."

They began their trek back, stopping every now and then to look at the different flowers and plants. When Bella excitedly pointed out an orchid, Jasper dumped out the remainder of the food and busted the wine bottle. He began digging up the beautiful flower with a shard of glass. He added dirt to the basket and planted the plant in it. "Something else to remember this place with." Bella wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. With their foreheads touching, Bella whispered to him, "Jasper, you are perfect." She gave him a light kiss and turned back to her flower.

Jasper was momentarily stunned and didn't reply to her. She thought he was perfect? She just didn't know that he was a broken man. He shook his head and put his hand on the small of her back. "Now we're ready to go."

Soon they walked up on Alice and Edward who were laughing and talking. Well, Edward was laughing and Alice was doing all the talking. She was making hand gestures while she talked and Edward was just about doubled over. Alice saw Bella and Jasper and quieted down. She waited until they got closer and then circled around Bella. "Well…well…well…" she arched an eyebrow and gave Bella a piercing look.

Bella felt the heat on her face spread to the rest of her body. "Alice, please…not now. I'll tell you everything later," she whispered to her best friend.

Alice looked at Jasper and then back to Bella. She put her hands on her hips and gave Bella an evil grin. "Oh I know you will!" Bella started biting her lower lip and fidgeting when she saw the look on Alice's face. She had seen it many times before and it never ended well.

Jasper laughed as he turned to Edward. "Ready to head back to the ship? I'd like to make it home before winter hits." As he nodded in response, he began gathering everything they had brought with them and loaded it in the boat. He helped the girls in and then took his seat. Jasper pushed the boat further out in the water and jumped in.

When the ship was in sight, Bella couldn't help but wonder what would become of her and Jasper. She knew her feelings ran deep, but also knew that their strange relationship was one-sided. She gripped the basket holding her flower tighter to her chest, closed her eyes and sighed. She had worse things to worry about…such as Alice and the million questions she would be asking. Bella wasn't for sure how she was going to answer them, or if she would have an answer, but she knew if anyone could help her figure this out, it would be Alice. She never did bet against Alice!

**A/N ok, I'm not really happy with this chapter. It seemed awkward writing it, but I needed to get past this point. Please review and let me know what you think…**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I know where I want this story to go, but just drew a blank on how to get there! I think I found my mojo though, so the chapters ought to be coming along just fine! Thanks for all the reviews, story alerts, and adding me to your fav story/authors. I am very humbled by it all!!!**

**A/N I own nothing…**

_When the ship was in sight, Bella couldn't help but wonder what would become of her and Jasper. She knew her feelings ran deep, but also knew that their strange relationship was one-sided. She gripped the basket holding her flower tighter to her chest, closed her eyes and sighed. She had worse things to worry about…such as Alice and the million questions she would be asking. Bella wasn't for sure how she was going to answer them, or if she would have an answer, but she knew if anyone could help her figure this out, it would be Alice. She never did bet against Alice!_

The next month passed by in a blur. Bella spent her days writing in her journal and spending time with Alice while spending her nights wrapped in Jasper's arms. The passion between them was only growing and Bella knew that she had lost her heart to him, although she didn't know how he felt about her. She loved listening to his deep voice and more than that, she loved the way his hands felt on her body. She had decided to just live one day at a time and enjoy every minute she had with him.

She was writing in her journal when she thought about their time on the island and what happened afterwards.

_As soon as the girls boarded the ship, Alice dragged Bella to Edward's cabin. She pushed her in and slammed the door shut, leaning on it. "Spill it!"_

"_Alice, you know you could've given me time to get changed."_

_Alice rolled her eyes. "Bella, I have been waiting forever to get the scoop and you're just trying to delay the inevitable. You know I'll get it out of you, so you might as well tell me now."_

_Bella fell backwards on the bed. "It was the most incredible experience of my life. You were so right…Jasper knew what he was doing and was very gentle." She closed her eyes and sighed. _

_Alice sat on the bed beside Bella. "So…I take it he fit?" She started laughing, rolling over on her side. Bella growled, picked up a pillow and started hitting Alice with it. She held her hands out and yelled, "Ok, ok! I'm sorry for teasing you about it, but really…you were so worried about it."_

Bella smiled to herself when she remembered how she really got nervous when she actually saw him in all his glory. The door opened, interrupting her thoughts, and Jasper entered the room. He walked over to where she was sitting and sat at the table with her. "I was wondering if you wanted to go outside with me. It's my turn at the wheel and I would really like some company. Everyone else has retired for the evening."

Bella jumped to her feet, excited at the thought of being able to escape from their cabin. "Oh Jasper! I'd love to!" She grabbed his hand and led him to the door.

Jasper chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Ok, let's grab a blanket. We'll be out there for a few hours and I want you to have something to rest on."

Bella gave him a sideways glance. "You know, I've always wanted to steer a ship, but my father told me it wasn't lady-like."

Jasper smiled at her as he led her out the door and to the wheel. "Well, we'll just have to fix that now, won't we?"

He stood behind her, took her hands and placed them on the wheel. He put his hands on top of hers and murmured in her ear, "Just close your eyes and feel the waves carrying the ship." He pressed his body against her back. "Feel the swaying of the ship as it rocks back and forth."

Bella leaned back against Jasper's body, her body soaking in the heat that his was putting off. His large hands, covering hers, showed her how to steer the ship. "Let the wind push the ship. All you have to do is make sure we head in the right direction. See that star up there?" He pointed up to the sky. When she nodded, he added "That's the north star. Keep it to the right of the ship."

Bella had never felt so free in her life. A cool breeze whipped through her hair, blowing it in her face. Jasper reached out and tucked a curl behind her ear. It never ceased to amaze him how soft and beautiful she was. Not only was she beautiful on the outside, but she was more beautiful on the inside. He appreciated the fact that she could hold an intelligent conversation. He never felt like he had to talk down to her. She had loosened up regarding their love-making and was more than willing to try new ideas. He smirked to himself as he remembered the times she had initiated sex between them. Jasper knew he cared deeply for her, but he couldn't let himself love her. Maria had ruined that for him.

Bella's body was on fire from the closeness of Jasper. His hands were caressing hers, his thumbs making tiny circles on top of her hands. "Jasper, this is wonderful! No wonder you have your own ship. I could stay right here forever."

Jasper nuzzled his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. "This is only one of my ships. I have a shipping company back home. But this is my fastest, which is necessary for what we do." He ran his hands up her arms and down her sides to finally rest on her waist.

The tingling in Bella's body was non-stop. She knew as long as she lived, she would never get tired of feeling his hands on her. She tried to keep her attention on the task at hand, but Jasper was making it very difficult. He pushed her hair to one side and began kissing her neck, starting at her ear and travelling along her jaw and down to her shoulder. Bella moaned as she tilted her head, giving him more access to her neck. She felt him smile against her as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her even closer to him. He ran his hands up her shirt, slowly making his way from her stomach to underneath her breasts, making small circles. Bella started squirming, trying to get him to move his hands higher. Jasper grinned to himself as he did what she wanted. He began massaging her left breast with his left hand while twisting and pulling the nipple on her right breast with his other hand.

Bella groaned as she arched her back, pushing her breasts further into his hands. "Jasper, please…more…"

Jasper stilled his hands and lowered them back down to her waist. "Darlin', we still have another couple of hours before Edward comes to relieve us."

Bella wiggled her ass into Jasper's hardened crotch. She wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled his head down to her level. She moaned into his ear, "Jasper, I need to be relieved now!"

Bella's moan shot straight to Jasper's cock, making it harder than it was before. He groaned as reached around her and shoved his hand down her pants, cupping her mound. His fingers stroking her wet folds, he whispered in her ear, "Like this?" Her hips began rocking as he slipped one finger into her tight core and then added another finger. "How about this?" he asked as his thumb began making circular motions on her clit.

Bella couldn't stop rocking or the moans that escaped from her mouth. "Oh God Jasper! That…feels…so…good!"

"What do you want, Darlin'? What do you need? Do you want my hard cock fucking your wet pussy? Do you need to feel my hard cock fucking your wet pussy?" he asked Bella as he ran his tongue along her jaw and down her neck, stopping to suck on her collarbone.

Bella threw her head back, a shudder running deep within her body. "Uh huh," was all she could manage to reply.

Jasper locked the wheel in place. "Keep your hands on the wheel, Isabella." He pushed her pants down and motioned for her to step out of them. He released his rock-hard cock out of his pants and ran it through her folds. "Tell me, Isabella. Tell me what you want."

Bella felt like she was losing her mind. On one hand, she was afraid someone would catch them, but on the other hand, she found that the idea was making her wetter. She pushed her ass into him hard. "I want you to fuck me."

At hearing her say the word 'fuck', Jasper growled in her ear, "Your wish is my command" and thrust into her. He held on to her waist with one hand and pushed gently down on her back, making her raise her ass to him. She threw back her head, her hair blowing in the wind, and met each of his thrusts. Jasper reached around and got his finger wet with her juices. Then he spread her cheeks and ran his wet finger around her tight hole. When he felt Bella stiffen, he whispered in her ear, "Just relax Darlin'. You know I would never do anything to hurt you. Only pleasure." When he felt her relax, he slowly pushed her finger into her, making small gentle thrusts.

Bella had never felt anything like this before. All she knew was that she wanted more. Her body was on fire and Jasper kept stoking it. She felt the familiar tightening in her abdomen and knew she was getting close. She began pushing herself harder on him, wanting to find that sweet release.

Jasper loved how Bella was so responsive to his touch. As she was pushing hard against him, he pushed even harder against her. His finger was thrusting deep inside her, alternating with the thrusts in her pussy. He could feel her walls tightening down on his cock. "That's it, baby. You feel so good, tight and wet, around my cock. I can't hold out much longer…cum with me Isabella!"

Bella felt her knees give out and gripped the wheel with all her strength. "Jasper!" she screamed as she came hard, her body quivering.

Jasper wrapped his arm around Bella's hips, holding her up and quickly pounded into her. He threw his head back and growled as he found his own orgasm. He slowed his thrusts, bringing them both down softly. He slowly pulled out of her and turned her around, facing him. He gently placed kisses on her forehead, giving her time to catch her breath. He leaned his forehead on hers, looking her in the eyes and whispered, "Beautiful…"

Jasper took off his shirt to give Bella something to clean up with. When she just stared at him when he handed the shirt to him, he chuckled and got down on his knees. He gently pulled her legs apart and began cleaning her up. When the shirt ran across her sensitive clit, she couldn't help but buck her hips. Jasper looked up at her and arched his eyebrow. "Do you want more, Darlin'? I would gladly give it to you, but I must warn you that Edward will be out here in a little bit. You don't want to give him a show, do you?"

Bella felt the flush go from her face down to the rest of her body. She tilted her head and gave Jasper an innocent smile. Once Jasper got over his shock at her response, he laughed. "Come on now…surely I haven't corrupted you that much!" He tucked himself back into his pants and helped her get her own back on. He unlocked the wheel and placed his hands over hers. "I love being out here at night. Twilight is the best time of the day. The men are in their cabins and the peace gives me time to think." He paused and whispered in her ear, "Although you are changing my mind about being out here by myself!"

Bella couldn't agree with him more. She giggled to herself as she thought of all the places on the ship they could 'explore'.

The giggle didn't escape Jasper's notice. "What thoughts are running through that beautiful mind of yours, Darlin'?"

Bella smiled to herself as she answered him. "Oh I was just thinking of all the exploring we could do on the ship."

Jasper's laugh was like music to her ears. It was a deep throaty sound, not like the barks she had heard from some of the other crew members. Before he could respond, Edward joined them. He looked at Bella and then at a shirtless Jasper. "Ok, I don't even want to know…I'm just here to relieve you two."

Bella and Jasper began laughing so hard, they were gripping their stomachs. At Edward's confused expression, Jasper tried to stop laughing. "It's nothing…just a private joke between Bella and I. We'll go on in now." He picked up a still laughing Bella bridal style and walked to their cabin. When Jasper had shut the door behind them, Edward shook his head. "He's got it bad and I don't even think he realizes it!"

**A/N please review and let me know what you think. I'm always open for suggestions, ideas or even some criticism.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N thanks to everyone who let me know I had reposted an old chapter. I have no idea how I did it, but thanks for letting me know I screwed up! lol**

**A/N my story got its 100****th**** review! Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to let me know what you think! I appreciate each and every one of you! Wanda…once again, you rock! lol**

**A/N I own nothing but a dream…**

_Bella and Jasper began laughing so hard, they were gripping their stomachs. At Edward's confused expression, Jasper tried to stop laughing. "It's nothing…just a private joke between Bella and I. We'll go on in now." He picked up a still laughing Bella bridal style and walked to their cabin. When Jasper had shut the door behind them, Edward shook his head. "He's got it bad and I don't even think he realizes it!"_

Once Jasper carried Bella into the cabin, they both undressed and crawled into bed. Bella was used to sleeping in the nude now, something she never imagined herself doing a few months ago. She turned on her side and Jasper curled himself around her, pulling her closer to him. He nuzzled his face into her hair and inhaled her scent, which instantaneously relaxed him. "So Darlin', was steering a ship everything you thought it would be?"

Bella turned her head and kissed him lightly on the lips. "It was everything and so much more! I learned a lot, and once again, you are an excellent tutor." She giggled and kissed him again. "I can't wait to do it again."

Jasper chuckled at her. "Bella, I was talking about actually steering the ship…"

Bella turned back around and pulled his arms tighter around her. "That was fun too!"

Jasper shook his head and smiled, but didn't reply to her. They both laid there in silence until Bella started squirming, trying to turn to face him. He laughed and loosened his hold on her. When she was face to face with him, she spoke softly. "Jasper, tell me about yourself, your family and your home. I already know you own a shipping business and have…um…extracurricular activities within it, but I want to know Jasper Whitlock."

Jasper gazed into her eyes, getting lost in her deep, dark chocolaty orbs. He felt like he could see all the way to her soul. "Well, I live in Georgia on the plantation my parents left to me when they died…"

Bella interrupted him before he could go any further, "Oh Jasper! I am so sorry! If you don't mind me asking, what happened to them?"

He was quiet for a minute. "They were murdered. We have never found out who did it or why, but I have my suspicions. I was around 11 years old when it happened. Edward's parents, my aunt and uncle, adopted me and my twin sister Rosalie. Carlisle kept the plantation going until I was old enough to take care of it myself. I used the money they left me to go in a partnership with Edward on the shipping company. I run the company since Edward's more of a silent partner. Carlisle is a doctor and Edward followed in his footsteps."

Bella was shocked. As mad as she was at her parents for shipping her off, she couldn't imagine how her life would've been different without them. She placed her hand on Jasper's face and caressed his cheek. He leaned into it, kissing her palm. He gave her a small smile as he saw the tears filling her eyes. "It's ok, Bella. It took me a while to get over the helplessness I felt when I first lost them, but Edward and his family have done everything they can to fill in the loss. I couldn't have asked for better people to adopt us."

Bella nodded her head in understanding. Edward's family was a godsend to two small children in their time of need. It also explained the closeness between Jasper and Edward. "Does Edward have any brothers or sisters? What about Rosalie? What is she like?" Bella wondered how Jasper's twin was going to react to her and Alice appearing on the scene.

Jasper chuckled and pressed his lips gently on her lips. "Rosalie takes some time to get used to. She can be a real bitch if she doesn't like you, but if she does, she's loyal to a fault. She married her childhood sweetheart Emmett McCarty, who is a character. He's always joking around and you'll almost never see him without a smile on his face. He is the total opposite of Rose, personality-wise. They balance each other out and are perfect for each other. Edward is an only child. Esme almost died giving birth to him and was unable to get pregnant afterwards. Everybody lives on my land. I split it four ways so everyone built their own houses."

Bella finally asked the question she had been dying to ask. She looked deeply into his slate eyes. "So what about you? Is there someone waiting at home for you?" She let out the deep breath she hadn't noticed she had been holding.

Jasper wasn't for sure how much he was willing to share with her, but he knew that he had to be honest. "Bella, I was once engaged to be married but that engagement ended badly. I haven't let myself get serious about another woman since, I can't…"

Bella lowered the eyes she knew were filling with tears. How could she let herself fall in love with him? She knew he didn't return the feeling. When she felt Jasper's hand under her chin, lifting her face up to his, she closed her eyes. There was no way she was going to let him see the hurt his words had caused her. "What's going to happen to me and Alice?" she asked in a very small voice.

"Bella, please look at me…" he pleaded with her. When Bella finally opened her eyes, he continued. "Edward wants to help Alice open her own dress shop. He seems pretty sure that it will be a success. He plans on asking Carlisle and Esme if she can live in their house. I'm pretty sure they'll agree since they love helping others. As for you, I want you to do whatever you want. I'd be more than happy to help you get on your feet." He stopped when the tears started flowing down Bella's face. He placed his hands on both sides of her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs. "Bella, what do _you_ want to do?" he asked her in a gentle voice. "I'll help you in any way I can."

Bella felt a tightness in her heart. It felt like a vise squeezing the very life out of her. She closed her eyes again and whispered, "I want you to love me."

Jasper froze at her words, his hands stilling on her face. How could he risk heartbreak all over again? He thought back to how his non-existent his life was after he found out about Maria and called off the engagement. His trust in women had been shattered. Maria had declared her love to him over and over before he found out what a bitch she really was. He knew that Bella was nothing like Maria, but he still didn't think he could take that risk. "Bella, I care about you very much and I would like to continue what we have, but I can't promise you anything more."

Bella nodded her head and twisted her body back around so he couldn't see her face. She scooted herself to the edge of the bed, unable to allow herself the luxury of feeling Jasper's body against hers. Jasper sighed to himself as he heard her softly sobbing to herself. He wanted so badly to wrap his arms around her tiny body and hold her close to his chest, but he knew she needed whatever space she could find. He laid there quietly until the sobs stopped and her breathing evened out. The last thought he had before he fell asleep was how much he missed her warm body pressed up against his.

* * *

Bella woke the next morning to the sun pouring in through the porthole. She tried to open her eyes, but they were so sore and swollen. She reached over and felt the empty spot where Jasper should've been, had been since the first morning she had woken up on the ship. She thought about the discussion she and Jasper had and felt that tightness in her heart again. She groaned as she remembered how she had almost begged him to love her. All of a sudden, she felt like she was going to be sick. She jumped up and ran to the pot. She felt someone holding her hair back as she emptied her stomach. She was relieved when she heard Alice's voice. "Bella, are you ok? What's wrong?"

Bella accepted the wet, cool cloth Alice offered her. She sat back on her heels, wiping her face as she covered up with a blanket. "Jasper more or less told me that he would never fall in love with me. Apparently he was engaged, which ended badly and he has sworn off love."

Alice set the cloth down, took Bella's hands in hers and gave her a pointed look. "Why were you sick?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I was still upset about last night."

Alice narrowed her eyes and stared at her. "Bella, when was the last time you had your 'lady time'?"

Bella's eyes got wide. "Oh my God! Alice…it was a couple of weeks before we left!" She lowered her head down to rest on her knees. When she began sobbing, Alice moved to her side and put her arms around her. "It'll be ok, Bella. Jasper's an honorable man. He'll do right by you, I'm sure of it. Everything will be…"

Bella whipped her head up and glared at Alice. "Alice, you are to say nothing to anyone about this, do you understand? I am not going to guilt Jasper into feeling anything for me that he doesn't feel on his own." As Alice nodded her agreement, Bella began brainstorming about her and her child's future. She would need to get away from Jasper. She would take him up on his offer to help and move away. She would do whatever she had to take care of her baby. Although it hurt to think of her child being raised without a father, it was for the best. If she told him now, he would think she had trapped him. No, it was better for everyone if she just went away.

Alice interrupted her thoughts. "Umm…Bella…how are you going to hide this from Jasper? We still have about another month before we land and you're going to be showing soon. I can make you a couple of gowns to hide your body, but what about when you're in bed with him. He will notice, I promise you he will."

Bella began rubbing her abdomen, lost in thought again. She shook herself out of it and turned to Alice. "I don't know, but I have to…"

**A/N please review and tell me what you think…I was pretty nervous about this chapter.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N many thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! I just love opening up my email & seeing all the review alerts! Truly makes my day…**

**Special thanks to my girl Bonnie for listening to me talk non-stop about this story & letting me bounce ideas off of her…love ya Bonnie!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothin'**

_Alice interrupted her thoughts. "Umm…Bella…how are you going to hide this from Jasper? We still have about another month before we land and you're going to be showing soon. I can make you a couple of gowns to hide your body, but what about when you're in bed with him. He will notice, I promise you he will."_

_Bella began rubbing her abdomen, lost in thought again. She shook herself out of it and turned to Alice. "I don't know, but I have to…"_

Bella spent the day trying to absorb the new knowledge that she was going to have a baby and what this meant for her future. She knew that she had to keep her pregnancy from Jasper, even though she hated to do it. She wanted a future with him because he wanted one, not because he felt like he had to. She would accept his offer of help and look for a house when they landed. She was sure Alice would want to share a house with her, especially if Edward was going to help her open up her own dress shop. They could maybe find a two-story house and have the dress shop on the lower floor.

Bella decided to go to Edward's cabin and talk to Alice about their plans. She knocked on the door and walked in when she heard Alice yell. She sat on the floor with Alice and took her hands into her own. "Alice, do you want to look for a house to share when we land? Jasper told me that he would help me anyway he could and Edward wants to help you open your business, so I was thinking about maybe combining our two needs into one."

Alice knew how stubborn her best friend was and wanted to make sure she knew what she was doing. "Bella, did you know Edward was a doctor?" When she saw Bella nod, she continued, "Well, I think you need to have a doctor look at you and confirm that you really are pregnant."

Bella gave her a horrified look. "There is no way I am going to let Jasper's cousin and best friend know that I am carrying his baby! Alice, you cannot tell Edward!"

Alice sighed. "You know I love you and have always considered you my sister, but I have to tell you that I think you're handling this all wrong. It's not fair to Jasper or his family to deny them this child."

Tears sprung to Bella's eyes and she covered her face with her hands. Alice scooted over to her and put her arms around her. Sobbing, Bella tried to speak. "Alice…"

Alice put her finger on Bella's lips. "Look, let's just wait and see what happens, ok? We'll keep the house idea as a backup plan. I think Jasper loves you, but he's just afraid to admit it. Edward has said as much. He has never seen him as happy as he has been with you. Just don't shut him out of what could be one of the most important things in his life. It just isn't fair and I think deep down you know I'm right."

"Alice, I'm so scared! What are people going to think of me? I'm going to be a woman with a bastard child, no other man is going to want to marry me."

"Oh honey, don't even worry about that. I have a feeling that you, Jasper and the baby will be one happy family. Have I ever steered you wrong?"

Bella rested her head on Alice's shoulder and sighed. "No you haven't, and I learned a long time ago never to bet against you. I'm so glad you're here with me, I don't know what I would do without you."

Alice chuckled and kissed her on top of her head. "You and I are a team; we always have been and always will. But I'm telling you that there will be others joining our team and Jasper's going to be one of them. Now, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, but I guess I've got a few weeks before we land to figure it all out, huh? I'm just so embarrassed how I begged him to love me, how am I going to face him now?"

Alice gave her a quick hug. "You can't change what happened so just put it behind you and go on. Jasper will realize that he loves you, I have faith in that." She placed her hand on Bella's abdomen. "Concentrate on the life you have growing inside of you. Now…I want you to look at these gowns I've designed for you. I think they will look beautiful on you and will hide your growing stomach. Pick out which one you like best and I'll get started on it, I'll have it done by the time we land."

Bella watched as Alice got up and walked over to the table. When she was handed the designs, she smiled. Alice was a genius! She pointed to one, "I love this one! Can you do it in red?"

Alice jumped up and down, clapping her hands. "That's my favorite one! I was hoping you'd pick that one, and you're in luck…I have the perfect shade of red for it!" She grabbed a bolt of the material and unrolled some of it to show Bella, who nodded her head.

"That's beautiful. Like you said…perfect!"

For the rest of the day, Bella helped Alice all she could. She wasn't very good in the sewing department, but she also didn't want to go back to her cabin yet. When she noticed it was starting to get dark outside the porthole, she decided to go back. "Alice, thanks for letting me stay with you all day. I truly love you to death!" She gave her a hug and started for the door.

Alice stopped her before she opened the door. "Bella, just remember to take one day at a time. We'll be ok, I promise!"

She walked out the door and looked around the deck. She saw Edward talking with Jasper and couldn't take her eyes off of him. Jasper noticed her standing there and stared at her. Edward turned to see what had captured his attention and smiled when he saw Bella. She gave him a small smile back and walked into the cabin.

Edward turned back to Jasper and snapped his fingers in front of his face. "So Jazz, what do you think?"

"What?" Jasper shook his head to get his thoughts back together.

"Have you told her that you love her yet?"

"Edward, you know how I feel about love. It's not for me."

Edward felt his anger build up and glared at Jasper. "If that's how you feel, why are you leading Bella on? You knew she was innocent when you took her on the island, even when you fucked her every night here on the ship. You knew that she had never gotten close to another male. How do you think she feels?" He took a deep breath when he saw the guilt on Jasper's face. "Shit Jasper, you know that you are like a brother to me. I know how Maria fucked you up and over, but Bella is NOT Maria! Don't make her suffer for Maria's sins. It's not fair to either one of you."

Jasper looked at Edward in the eyes. "I know she's not Maria and I keep telling myself that. I do care for Bella, a hell of a lot, but I just can't…"

Edward let out a harsh laugh. "Ok, Jasper. Let's look into the future, shall we? As beautiful as Bella is, not only on the outside but beautiful on the inside too, I'm sure she won't be lacking for suitors. Picture her laying in the arms of another man, enjoying the hell out of his hands all over her." He paused when he heard a quiet growl starting in Jasper's chest. "Picture her walking down the aisle, marrying one of our neighbors. Picture them on their honeymoon, making love…her moaning and groaning like she did when she was with you. Picture her belly swollen with _his _child…"

Jasper couldn't take any more. He drew back his fist and slammed it into Edward's face. "STOP!" The growl that had started in his chest, made its way up his throat and out his mouth. Edward tackled him to the ground before Jasper could throw another punch. "What's the matter, Jasper? You don't want her but you don't want anyone else to have her either? You can't have it both ways, man. I know you love her, I can see it in your face! I have never seen you so carefree with anyone like you are with her. Can't you just accept that it was fate that brought you two together? That you two are soulmates?" When he got no response, he shook his head and stood up. "I know you're an intelligent man, Jasper. Why is it that you are being so stupid when it comes to the love of this beautiful woman? You better figure this out quickly. We're going to be home soon and then it might be too late." He turned to walk away, but turned his head towards Jasper and gave him a sly smile. "Hell, I might even throw my hat in the ring." When he heard another growl, he laughed and went to his cabin.

Jasper got to his feet and walked to the rail of the ship. He stared out in the distance, not noticing the way the stars and moon glistened and danced on the water. He leaned against the railing and thought of the woman in his cabin. He smiled to himself when he remembered the first time he laid eyes on her. She was a spit-fire, not fearing for her safety. He thought about that spark of electricity that ran through his body when he first touched her, that had never happened before. The night when he had made love to her for the first time was a night he knew he would never forget. He frowned when he imagined Edward's 'future' and it was right then when he realized that he wanted that to be his future, with Bella. He wanted to be the one she walked down the isle to, wanted it to be him that brought those sensuous moans and groans out of her, and wanted her belly to be swollen with his child. He wanted to protect her and spend the rest of his days with her. He rubbed his face with his hands. "Fuck! I've been such a fool! I fell in love with her the moment I laid eyes on her." He felt the guilt build up when he remembered how she had cried the night before, when he had been stupid enough to tell her he couldn't give her the love she wanted, asked for.

He decided right there and then that he would start afresh tomorrow. Tomorrow he would tell her how he felt, how he had loved her from the start. Feeling like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, Jasper finally noticed the beautiful night surrounding him. He took a deep breath of the ocean air and exhaled. He chuckled to himself when he remembered that he would have to apologize to Edward for hitting him. Then he would thank Edward for opening his eyes to how he truly felt about Bella.

Realizing that he had been by himself for hours, he pushed back away from the railing and walked towards his cabin. When he entered the room, he noticed that Bella was asleep. She was laying as close to the edge of the bed as she could without falling off. He also noticed that she had her shift on, something that she hadn't worn to bed since the island. He got undressed and into bed. He wanted to pull her towards him and wrap his arms around her, but knew she was already trying to separate herself from him. He sighed as he told himself that he had some major ass-kissing to do, starting tomorrow. He leaned over and lightly brushed his lips against hers. "I love you, Isabella Swan," he whispered to her before laying back. He knew it was going to be a long, sleepless night.

**A/N sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I was having a hard time deciding on how to get to this point, but once I started typing, I just couldn't stop! Anyway, please review & let me know what you think. All ideas, suggestions & criticisms are welcome…;D**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N thanks to everyone for reviewing, alerts & adding my story to their favorites. It really means so much!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but this dream…**

_Realizing that he had been by himself for hours, he pushed back away from the railing and walked towards his cabin. When he entered the room, he noticed that Bella was asleep. She was lying as close to the edge of the bed as she could without falling off. He also noticed that she had her shift on, something that she hadn't worn to bed since the island. He got undressed and into bed. He wanted to pull her towards him and wrap his arms around her, but knew she was already trying to separate herself from him. He sighed as he told himself that he had some major ass-kissing to do, starting tomorrow. He leaned over and lightly brushed his lips against hers. "I love you, Isabella Swan," he whispered to her before laying back. He knew it was going to be a long, sleepless night._

Bella woke up when she felt like she was going to be sick again. She tried to get up, but felt Jasper's arm around her. _Oh no! Why isn't he already up and gone? _She didn't want to be sick in front of him; she didn't want him to know anything yet. She tried to even her breathing, in through her nose and out her mouth, but it didn't seem to be working. She shot out of bed and ran to the pot. As she was emptying her stomach, she felt her hair being pulled back and a wet rag running across her forehead.

When she was sure there wasn't anything left to throw up, she attempted to stand, but a bout of dizziness made her drop back down to her knees. Jasper scooped her up and carried her back to their bed. He wiped her face with a rag and held a glass of water to her lips. "Here, drink this. Are you ok?"

Bella opened her eyes and looked up into his, taking in the concern & worry she saw. She took the glass and slowly drank every bit of it. She tried to come up with a plausible excuse for throwing up. "Yes, I'm alright. I think it was just my nerves." She gave a nervous laugh. By the look on Jasper's face, she knew he wasn't buying it.

"Edward's a doctor so I'd feel better if he came in and took a look at you."

Bella couldn't let that happen, Edward would find out that she was pregnant and tell Jasper. She knew that she would tell him eventually, but she wasn't ready to do that just yet. "No, really I'm ok. I just let my nerves get the best of me."

"Bella, if you're sick, I need to know. I can't let whatever you have spread to the rest of my men."

She looked down at her hands. "Ok, if it will make you feel better but I'm telling you that it's going to be a waste of his time."

Jasper gently lifted her face so he could look in her eyes. "Bella, I just want to make sure you're alright." He stood and pulled on his pants. "I'm going to go get him now."

Bella laid back on her pillow and closed her eyes. She wondered if she could fool Edward into believing that it truly was her nerves making her sick, heaven knew they were wound up tight. She threw her arm across her eyes and groaned.

When Edward walked into the room, Bella sat up and looked behind him. When she didn't see Jasper, she gave him a questioning look. "I asked him to wait outside. I would do the same back home." He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. "Now, what's going on?"

Bella felt her face turning red and looked down at her lap. "It's really nothing. I told Jasper it was a waste of your time."

Edward smiled at her. "Why don't you let me decide? Back to my original question, what's going on?"

"My nerves have been going haywire and I got sick this morning. That's all…"

"Ok, how long has this been going on?"

Bella knew that the truth was going to come out now. There was no way she would be able to lie to Edward. More than anything, she didn't want him to tell Jasper before she had a chance to. She finally looked up at Edward. He was surprised to see the tears running down her face. He reached out and took her hand in his. "Bella?"

When she saw the concerned look on his face, she broke down and sobbed. Edward scooted closer to her and put his arm around her. He held her close and rocked her, murmuring soothing words to her. "Bella, it's ok. Just tell me, let me help you."

Finally her sobs quieted down. Sniffling, she began in a very low voice, so low that Edward had to lean down to hear her. "I was sick yesterday morning too."

Edward gave her a knowing look. "Bella, I don't want to embarrass you, but when was the last time you had your cycle?"

A small smile crossed her face as she remembered Alice asking her the same thing. "Alice calls it 'lady time.'" Then the smile was gone. "It was 2 or 3 weeks before we left England."

Edward nodded his head in understanding. "So now we know what's wrong with you, huh? And I gather from your 'nerves' excuse, you haven't told Jasper?"

Bella drew in a sharp breath. "Edward, you have to promise me you won't tell him! I will tell him, really I will…I just have to find the right time to do it."

Edward gave her a pointed look. "Bella, no matter what you think about Jasper, he is an honorable man. He will man up to his responsibility." Bella started wringing her hands and Edward noticed the tears falling again. He placed his hand over hers, "Bella, how do you feel about Jasper?"

Bella looked into Edward's green eyes and in a quiet voice, she answered him. "I love him. I know that I haven't known him that long, but in the time we've been together, I feel like I've known him forever. I know it sounds crazy, but he's the other half to my whole. But it doesn't matter anyway. He told me the other day that he cared for me and that was all he could give me. I don't want him to marry me out of some kind of obligation. I want him to want to be with me, not because he feels like he has to."

Edward smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "Honey, I know Jasper feels the same way. He hasn't come right out and told me, but I know him. Plus you should've heard & seen him when I suggested the idea of you being with another man. He literally growled at me! He actually threw a punch at me. Sweetie, Marie really fucked him over, excuse my language, but she really played mind games with him. It's not my story to tell, but just trust me that you have destroyed the wall that he built around his heart."

Bella listened to every word Edward said. She couldn't understand why Jasper couldn't realize his feelings for her, if what Edward said was true. "So are you going to promise me that you'll let me tell him?"

"Bella, there's this thing called 'doctor-patient confidentiality' that prevents me from telling him. I'll just tell him that you're ok and that it isn't something that will spread to the rest of the crew." When Bella snorted, Edward laughed and gave her a hug. "This is really exciting news! Another member of my family is waiting to be born." He stood up and walked towards the door. Before he opened it, he turned around and smiled. "Bella, it will all work out, I promise! Rose and my mom are going to spoil this baby rotten! We'll be home in several weeks so that gives you a little time to tell him, ok?"

When she nodded, he walked out the door and almost ran into Jasper. "Shit Jasper! What were you doing, listening at the door?"

Jasper was embarrassed at getting caught. "Doesn't matter anyway…can't hear a damn thing through those doors! So, is she ok? What's wrong with her?"

Edward walked over to his door. Before he opened it, he turned and answered him. "She's ok. Don't worry, the rest of the crew won't catch anything." He couldn't help from chuckling when he remembered Bella's response to the same thing. When he saw the puzzled look on Jasper's face, he laughed and entered his cabin.

Jasper shook his head and entered his own cabin. He noticed Bella's red eyes and hurried to her. "Bella, you've been crying…why? Edward said that you were fine." He hated that she had been reduced to tears more in the past few days than the whole time she had been with him.

She wasn't ready to tell him yet so she said the first thing that came to her mind. "Oh, Edward and I were talking about family and I started crying. It's really silly."

Jasper kicked his shoes off and got up in the bed. He leaned up against the headboard and held his arms out. Bella wanted more than anything to crawl up in his lap, but she didn't know how much more heartache she could take. She looked into his slate eyes and realized she would take as much as she could. She leaned over to him and he wrapped his arms around her. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. She imagined staying like this for the rest of her life. Being married to Jasper, their children running around. She closed her eyes and tried to picture what the child she carried would look like. She hoped it would be a boy, with his father's blonde hair and his beautiful eyes.

She was so lost in thought, she didn't hear a word Jasper had said. In a low voice, he repeated himself. "Bella, would you rather go back to England, back to your family?"

Bella couldn't believe her ears. He was already trying to get rid of her, Edward was wrong. "What? No! What are you talking about?" She pulled away from Jasper, "Look, I'm going to take you up on your offer and accept help from you to get started on my new life. You won't have to worry about me anymore once we land. I promised you before that I wouldn't say anything about how we met and I stand by my word."

Jasper felt like he had been sucker-punched. "Bella, is that really what you want to do?"

Bella glanced down at her hands. "No, but it's all you can give me, right?" She looked back up and met Jasper's gaze. She was surprised at the hurt she saw there, and then she got mad. She couldn't believe that he had the audacity to feel hurt when she was the one whose heart was breaking. She jumped to her feet and started pacing back and forth. "Jasper, what do you want from me? Is fucking me enough for you?" She ripped off her shirt, the buttons flying across the floor. "Ok, let's do it then. If this is all you can give me, then I want it now!"

Jasper was shocked at her outburst. "Bella stop!" He reached out to stop her but she evaded his grasp. She pulled off her pants and stood in front of him, her breasts heaving. "Come on Jasper…this is what you want too, right?"

"That's enough!" Jasper yelled at her. He picked up her clothes and threw them at her. "Get fucking dressed! The only reason I asked you if you wanted to go back to England was because you were crying about your family. I thought you were missing them and wanted to go back home. I don't want you to leave…"

Bella jerked her clothes back on and looked at him in disbelief. "Let me get this straight. You don't want me, but you don't want me to go. Just how does that work Jasper? I can't do this, I thought I could but I can't. I love you with everything that I am, but I can't keep putting my heart out there, knowing you will never love me…I can't." She walked over to the door and opened it. Before she walked through it, she stopped. "I'm going to see Alice; I need some time to sort out my thoughts."

"Bella wait! I want to talk to you." Jasper strode over and picked her up, bridal style, and put her on the bed. "I want to talk to you about Maria."

"Jasper, I am not Maria! I don't know what she did to you, but from the sounds of it, she really did a number on you. I wish you would trust me enough to give me your heart." Bella knew that if she ever laid eyes on that bitch, she would tear her limb from limb and burn ever piece. She would even dance around the pyre. It was Maria's fault that Jasper couldn't love her.

"I know you're not Maria and yes you're right, she did do a number on me. The entire time I was fighting with my family over her, trying to convince them that we were in love with each other, she was off fucking around. When I finally confronted her about it, she tried to deny it but it didn't matter. Jacob had seen her with one of her 'gentlemen friends' in an alley, down on her knees, servicing him. I've known Jacob since we were kids and I knew he would never lie to me. She cried when she finally admitted to me that it was true. She begged me to forgive her, but how could I? It really tore me up to realize that I wasn't good enough for her to remain faithful." Jasper took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Bella, for a long time I've enjoyed women, pleasing them and being pleased in return. It was always so easy to walk away when I was done, to not think another thing about them. No expectations on either side. I didn't have to worry about my heart being broken again because I never let anyone in." He took Bella's hands in his. "I don't think I can do that with you. In fact, I know I can't. I can't walk away from you; I can't imagine not having you in my life. It took Edward to make me realize what I feel for you."

Bella couldn't believe her ears. She exhaled the breath she didn't know she had been holding. "How do you feel about me, Jasper?"

Jasper placed his hands along Bella's face. "I love you, Isabella Swan." He leaned towards her and kissed her gently on her lips. He pressed his forehead against hers. "You are my life."

**A/N ok, first of all…I just want to point out that I have no idea if they had "doctor-patient confidentiality back then, but if you've read my story so far, you've kinda picked up that I'm mostly just winging it here. ;D**

**what did you think about Jasper's confession? Too much? Too little? Let me know! I appreciate all your ideas, suggestions and criticisms…**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N sorry this took so long to post. I hate end of the month closing!!! Anyone that has ever had to deal with corporate offices and financial statements will understand! Lol**

**I want to humbly thank each and every one of you who have reviewed my story and added it to your favs and alerts. I love opening up my email and seeing all of the notices there. **

**I just wanted to rec a story that had me up until 7:00 in the morning reading it…I couldn't stop! It's called The Red Line written by WinndSinger. This fic had me laughing one minute and crying the next. It's an Edward/Bella story and one of THE best I have read. It's listed in my favs. **

**Disclaimer: still own nothing…**

_Bella couldn't believe her ears. She exhaled the breath she didn't know she had been holding. "How do you feel about me, Jasper?" _

_Jasper placed his hands along Bella's face. "I love you, Isabella Swan." He leaned towards her and kissed her gently on her lips. He pressed his forehead against hers. "You are my life."_

Bella stared into Jasper's eyes, trying to find the truth behind his declaration of love there. When she found what she was looking for, she threw her arms around his neck and began sobbing. Jasper drew back, returning the stare. "Bella, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but I need to know what you want. What do you want to do?"

"Jasper, when my father told me I was going to the colonies to marry a man I had never met, I wanted to just die. I couldn't imagine going through life tied to a stranger, much less be intimate with him." When she heard a low growl escape Jasper, Bella had to smile. "But the first time you touched me, down in the hull of my father's ship, I felt a current of electricity shoot through my body and I knew you were something special. I got to know you and discovered that you were just as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. You are truly a gentleman." She leaned up to kiss him softly on his lips. "I found myself falling in love with you, more and more everyday. I love the way you know my body and make my body hum, I love the way we can talk about everything or just enjoy the peace and quiet together. I feel more comfortable with you than I ever have with anyone else in my life. I love you Jasper Whitlock, and I would like nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you too."

A grin slowly worked itself across Jasper's handsome face. "Darlin, I haven't allowed myself the pleasure of dreaming about my future with a woman, but now all I can think about is that future. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I want you." Bella crawled into his lap and straddled his hips. She began peppering his face with kisses. She fisted her hands in his hair and kissed along his jaw down his neck. She ran her hands across his broad shoulders, her lips following. She placed little wet kisses across his chest, coming to rest on one of his nipples. She knew how much she loved his mouth on her body and wanted to show him how she felt. She ran her tongue around the hardened nub, alternately sucking and nibbling on it.

Jasper moaned as he laid back on the bed, pulling Bella with him. He tried to undress her but Bella stopped his hands. "No, I want to make you feel like you make me feel. This is all about you now." Jasper saw the love in her eyes, getting lost in the deep, dark orbs. He nodded and raised his arms over his head. Bella gave him a smile, enjoying the thought of control he had just handed over to her.

Bella's eyes drank in Jasper's body. She was in awe that this magnificent man wanted her, loved her. She took her time exploring his body with her hands and lips, the thought of his love making her braver than she had ever felt. She laved his nipple with her tongue, swirling the nub with the tip of her tongue. She took his other one in-between her thumb and finger, gently twisting and pulling it. She looked up through her eyelashes, watching Jasper's face as she continued her ministrations.

Jasper couldn't help the moans that were escaping his lips. He had never given a woman complete control while having sex, but knew he would hand it over to Bella any time she wanted it. He watched as she lowered her body, skimming his as she went lower. He bucked his hips as she passed over his hardened cock, his arms straining against the headboard. He wanted nothing more than to tear her clothes off of her, flip her over on her back and lose himself in her heat. "Bella…" he growled. He felt her smile against his abdomen and almost lost whatever control he had over himself.

She licked down his abdomen, stopping at his belly button to give it a wet kiss before moving down to his hips. She lightly bit the space below his hipbone and gently sucked on his skin. She raised her head and glanced at the mark she had left. She smirked at Jasper before she continued, following the magical V that led to her treasure.

All of a sudden, Bella was very nervous. Alice had told her stories about sucking a man's cock, but since she had never done it before, she wondered if she would be any good at it. Jasper was watching her face and noticed her biting her lower lip. He gave her a gentle smile and lowered a hand to run across her face. "It's ok, Bella. You don't have to go any further if you don't want to."

"It's not that I don't want to…it's just that I don't know how." She felt a little embarrassed and knew her face had turned a nice shade of crimson red.

"Just do whatever you want, Darlin'. It will all feel good."

Bella nodded her head and wrapped his shaft with her hand. When Jasper groaned, she quickly looked to his face, but when she saw the love and lust in his eyes, she smiled and lowered her head. She slowly ran her tongue over the slit, licking away the precum that had seeped out. Jasper gripped the headboard even tighter now, trying to control the urge to thrust his hips. He about lost it when he felt her mouth envelope his swollen head. She twirled her tongue around and under the head. She held the base of his cock and began lowering her mouth, taking in as much as she could. She bobbed her head in unison with her hand, using her tongue and teeth to earn sensuous sounds from him.

"Baby, your warm mouth wrapped around my cock feels incredible! So good…so good…" Jasper panted and gently began thrusting his hips.

Bella moaned at the encouraging words and Jasper felt his orgasm nearing. As much as he wanted to, he didn't want to release in her mouth, he didn't want to scare her for her first time. He gripped her by her arms and pulled her up to him. "Come on up here, darlin'. I want to cum inside your sweet pussy."

Bella shivered as she hurriedly got undressed. She quickly straddled Jasper's hips and sliding her wet folds against his cock, throwing her head back and groaning at the sensation. She reached down, wrapped her hand around his hard cock and positioned it at her entrance. Slowly she lowered herself until he was fully enveloped inside her, the two of them moaning in unison. She looked at Jasper's face and knew she would never get enough of him. She relished the fact that she could make him feel so good.

Jasper placed his hands on her hips, letting her set the pace. She rocked her hips back and forth, loving the pressure his body put on her clit. She leaned back and placed her hands on his thighs, feeling him hit her at a different angle as she continued rocking her hips back and forth. Jasper reached up, caressing her breasts making her push them into his hands. He began gently pulling and pinching her nipples, twirling them between his thumbs and fingers. She felt the familiar tightening in her lower abdomen and her thighs squeezed against his hips. She fell forward, tucking her face in his neck and started sucking on the skin under his ear. He grabbed both cheeks of her ass and held her up as he began thrusting into her. The moaning and groaning that escaped them seem to fill the cabin.

"More, Jasper…" Bella panted.

"As you wish, darlin'." Jasper's thrusts came faster and harder. Bella screamed his name as he felt her walls begin to clench around his cock. He continued thrusting wildly until he reached his own orgasm, spilling his hot seed into her as she milked everything he had to offer. He slowed his movements and kissed her face before ending with her lips, allowing both of them to gently come down.

He wrapped his arms around her and turned her so they were facing each other, still connected. His head rested next to hers as she ran her fingers through his hair. They stared into each other's eyes, foreheads pressed together. "I love you, Jasper…so damn much!"

Jasper placed his hand on her face, caressing Bella's cheek. "I love you too. I'm so glad I finally admitted it to myself. I promise you, baby…I will always be there for you, to protect you and to lavish you with my love."

Bella felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She knew that she should tell Jasper about the pregnancy, but she didn't know how he was going to take it and she sure didn't want to ruin the perfect day they were having. _I'll tell him later_, she thought to herself. She didn't notice that a few tears escaped down her cheeks until she felt his thumb wiping them away. "What's going through that beautiful mind of yours, darlin'?"

Bella shook her head, "I'm just so happy that you love me. I truly want to spend the rest of my life with you, but I really need to know…where do we go from here?"

Jasper was quiet for a minute and then pressed his lips against hers. "Bella, I know we haven't known each other very long and I know that we're moving rather quickly, but I feel like we are destined to be together. Does that sound about right to you?" When Bella nodded, he continued. "When we get back home, you can decide where you want to stay. I want you to live at my house, but if you feel uncomfortable with that, I'm sure Rose would love for you to stay with her. Whatever you want to do…as long as we're together."

Bella thought about what Jasper said. "I think I want to live with you. I'm sure that will cause plenty of gossip, but I suppose there's going to be some anyway. Do you think your family is going to like me?"

Jasper chuckled as he stroked Bella's hair. "Oh darlin, they're going to love you! Anyone that makes me happy will certainly make them happy. They were so sure that I was going to end up all alone. Rose and Esme always tried to fix me up with their female friends, hoping I would end my rakish ways and settle down but no one ever captured my attention for more than one night. I know that sounds awful, but it's the truth. No one until I met you…" He pressed his lips against hers and ran his tongue across her lower lip. When she parted her lips, he slipped his tongue in her mouth, caressing her tongue with his own. Bella gently sucked on his tongue and felt his cock twitch, still inside of her. She moaned as she felt him growing, filling her up again. He pulled his face away from hers, stared into her eyes and gave her a smirk. "Again, love?"

**A/N please review and let me know what you thought. **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N sorry this took so long. My dad had a heart attack and my sister and I had to take an emergency flight to Oregon. He ended up having a triple-bypass, but is back home doing great! We were really shocked that this happened to him since he was very careful about what he ate and for a 75 year old man, was very active. He loved scuba-diving, snow skiing and riding his 4-wheeler. Come to find out, it's all in the genetics. Just goes to show you, huh?**

**Anyway, here ya go!!!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing…**

_He pressed his lips against hers and ran his tongue across her lower lip. When she parted her lips, he slipped his tongue in her mouth, caressing her tongue with his own. Bella gently sucked on his tongue and felt his cock twitch, still inside of her. She moaned as she felt him growing, filling her up again. He pulled his face away from hers, stared into her eyes and gave her a smirk. "Again, love?"_

Bella relaxed against Jasper's body, her back against his broad chest surrounded by his strong muscular arms. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips. They had spent the day exploring each other's bodies, only stopping when Jacob brought them their meals. She could feel Jasper's face in her hair, inhaling her scent. "I never knew making love could feel this good, this right. I love you darlin'," he murmured in her ear. "Do you want to get dressed and go outside? The sun's getting ready to go down and I'm sure Edward and Alice will be wondering if you're ok."

"Oh I'm sure Alice knows that I'm ok, but getting some fresh air does sound good." Bella giggled and started to get out of their bed, but Jasper pulled her back to him and brushed his lips along her neck and shoulder. Bella moaned, "Mmmm…I thought you wanted to go outside…"

Jasper groaned and then chuckled. "Riiiggghhht…" He loosened his hold on Bella and rose from the bed. Bella couldn't help but stare at his perfect body. He glanced at Bella's face and smirked when he saw the lust in her eyes. "Really darlin', you are insatiable!"

Bella snorted and began getting dressed. "This from the man that couldn't get enough today!"

"I didn't hear you complaining, love." Jasper laughed as he threw his clothes on. He grabbed his comb, sat on the bed and motioned for Bella to sit between his legs. "Let's see what we can do with your hair. You look like you've spent all day in bed having wild, passionate sex!"

Bella rolled her eyes but sat between Jasper's legs. He gently pulled the comb through her hair, both of them enjoying the chore. Jasper loved the feel of her long silky hair and Bella loved the feel of him combing her hair. Her body was so relaxed, she swayed with every stroke of the comb. When he was done, Bella twisted her body and pressed her lips against his. "I love you." She stood and Jasper wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her stomach. Bella tensed up when she realized how close Jasper was to the baby. She knew he wouldn't be able to tell she was pregnant, but it was another reminder that she needed to tell him…and soon. She stepped back and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet. "Come on!"

Bella led him to the door, flung it open and came face to face with Alice. Alice with a shit-eating grin on her face. "Well Bells, what have you been doing all day? I came by earlier, but I guess you didn't hear me knock."

"Oh…you know…" Bella stuttered. She knew her face was flushed with embarrassment. She heard Jasper chuckle behind her and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

Alice giggled and kissed her on her cheek. "Bella, say no more. By the look on your face, I have my answer."

Bella shook her head and frowned at her best friend, knowing she just wanted to embarrass her. She felt Jasper's strong arms wrap around her waist and leaned back against his hard body. She turned her head and looked up to see the smirk on Jasper's face. "We've been busy, how about you Alice?"

Alice smiled as she glanced from Jasper's face to Bella's and back to Jasper's. "Oh, you know…" She burst out laughing and turned back around, heading back to Edward's cabin. "Jasper, Edward wants to talk to you about what we're going to say and do when we finally get home."

Jasper nodded his head and gently pushed Bella out the door, his arms still around Bella. They followed Alice into the cabin where Edward was seated at the table, a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass in front of him. Jasper saw the worried look on his cousin's face and sat down in front of him, pulling Bella onto his lap. Edward glanced at Bella and raised his eyebrow, silently asking her a question. Bella knew what he was asking and minutely shook her head, letting him know that she hadn't told Jasper about the baby yet. She pleaded with her eyes, asking for a little more time. He gave her a little frown and then focused his attention on Jasper.

Edward filled his shot glass with the golden liquid and tossed it back. He felt the heat go through his body and welcomed the calming effect it had on him. He stood up and walked to the cabinet to get another shot glass, two wine glasses and a bottle of wine. He filled both the shot glasses with whiskey and the wine glasses with the wine. He handed the wine glasses to the girls and pushed the shot glass across the table to Jasper. "Jazz, we can't just show up with Bella and Alice and not expect people to wonder how they got on our ship after theirs disappeared. I think we need to come up with a plausible reason how that came to be since I'm sure there will be people who will recognize the Swan name."

Jasper picked up his glass and swallowed it down in one gulp. "I've been thinking the same thing. We have to stick as close to the truth as we can so there won't be so many lies to remember. How about we came upon their ship after it had been attacked and found the girls hidden below deck. What do you think, Bella?"

Bella shifted in Jasper's lap and put her arm around his neck. She smirked at him when she felt him harden underneath her and shifted again, pretending she was trying to find a comfortable position. A low growl began in Jasper's chest as he placed his hands on her hips, stopping anymore movement. She smiled and kissed him on his cheek. "I think Alice and I can pull that story off. We hid as our ship was attacked and stayed hidden until our heroes found us and saved the day! My parents knew I didn't want to get married, so we can just say we never mentioned the betrothal to anyone. Sound good to you Alice?"

Bella turned to Alice, who was sitting next to Edward with a blank stare in her eyes. She blinked her eyes a couple of times and nodded her head. "Yes, I think that story will work just fine. Now that we've got that part straightened out, what about the rest of it? Edward is sure I can stay with Carlisle and Esme until I get my dress shop up and running. What are you going to do?"

Bella knew that Alice expected Jasper to take care of her, especially now that she was pregnant with his child. She didn't want him to feel obligated to her, but she also knew that he had said he wanted to be with her forever. She had already decided that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, but he hadn't officially asked her yet. She looked at Alice and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not for sure…" She felt Jasper's arms tighten around her and turned to look at him. She stared into his slate eyes, getting lost in the love she saw there. She smiled as she turned back to Alice. "We aren't through discussing the future yet."

Alice gave her a sideways glance. "So…you haven't told…"

Bella's eyes widened and she hurriedly interrupted her before she could reveal the big secret. "Not yet!"

Jasper turned Bella's body so he could look at her in the face. "What's going on, darlin'?"

"I'll tell you later, ok?" She placed her hands on his cheeks and gave him a light kiss. Jasper stared into her eyes, trying to find his answer in her deep, dark brown eyes. Finally he nodded his head.

The rest of the night was spent laughing and planning the building of Alice's dress shop. Bella leaned back against Jasper, absorbing the calm and relaxation from him. She felt a little envious that Alice's future seemed to be set in stone, while hers was still up in the air.

Jasper ran his hand through Bella's long hair, enjoying the silky feel of the strands running through his fingers. He kept one hand on her stomach, his thumb making circular motions moving closer and closer to her breasts. He felt himself getting hard as he thought about the feel of them in his hands and in his mouth. Bella could feel him getting aroused and couldn't help but softly grind her hips into him.

Finally Jasper couldn't take it anymore. "Bella, are you ready to go back to our cabin? There's something I need to take care of." When she jumped to her feet, Edward and Alice laughed and smirked at the couple.

"Something you need to take care of? Really, Jasper!" Alice snorted.

"Yeah…you know Alice, some _things_ need taken care of," Edward chuckled as he watched Bella's face turn a bright shade of red.

Jasper rolled his eyes as he picked Bella up and carried her bridal style to the door. "Whatever you guys!" Bella tucked her face into the crook of Jasper's neck, hoping to hide her embarrassment.

As soon as they entered their cabin, Jasper set Bella down on the floor and pinned her up against the door. He leaned on his forearms, one on each side of her head, and ran his nose along her jaw and down her neck. "Darlin', I need to be inside you now," he murmured in her ear.

Bella pushed her hands inside his shirt, loving the feel of his muscles rippling underneath her touch. She took a nipple between her thumb and finger, twisting and pulling on it. "I need you too."

With a growl, Jasper ripped her shirt off of her and attacked her breasts with his mouth, while he pushed her pants down. He felt Bella trying to remove his clothing, but was having a hard time since she was so anxious. He took a step backwards and before she knew it, he was naked and picking her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his hardness rub against her wet folds. She groaned as she rocked her hips against him, trying to maintain the friction she so desperately needed.

Jasper held her against the door, his hands gripping her ass as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt him lift her up slightly and then she gasped as she felt him slam into her. She fisted her hands in his hair and threw her head back at the feeling of being filled so completely. "Oh Jasper…you feel so good…" she panted as he rocked into her. "More Jasper! Harder…faster…"

"Your wish is my command, darlin'" Jasper growled between his clenched teeth as he used the door as leverage so he could thrust into her deeper. Over and over he pounded into her, watching her face as she enjoyed the feeling he was giving to her. "Does it feel good, love? Does it feel good having my hard cock in your hot pussy?" He smiled when he saw her eyes roll back and he knew she loved the shit out of him talking dirty to her.

At Jasper's words, Bella felt like she was ready to explode. She knew it wasn't lady-like to enjoy his dirty talk, but hell…he could make her so wet and aroused by doing it. "Oh God, Jasper!" She grabbed him by his hair and pulled his face to hers, smashing her lips against his. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and moaned when she felt him sucking it in time to his deep thrusts.

Jasper knew he was very close to his release, but wanted to hold off until Bella reached hers. He took her nipple in his mouth, using the tip of his tongue to tease the hardened tip as his hand travelled down her stomach, reaching the apex where his cock was thrusting inside her hot core. He rubbed her clit in a circular motion before he pinched it and bit down gently on her nipple at the same time.

At the sensation of pleasure and pain, Bella's eyes rolled back and she screamed Jasper's name. He felt her body shake and shudder around him and found his own release, her heat milking his cock for all it was worth. He continued thrusting inside her, only this time he moved slower, bringing them both back from over the edge. Bella rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her to their bed. He slowly pulled out of her, smiling as she whimpered at the loss. He walked over to the pitcher of water and grabbed a rag. He poured some water into a bowl and brought it over to the bed. He dipped the rag into the water and, gently and lovingly, cleaned her up. She shuddered again as he drug the rag over her sensitive clit. He rinsed the rag and cleaned himself. When he was done, he threw the rag on the floor and climbed into bed. Bella scooted closer to him, throwing her arm around him as she laid her head on his chest.

"Fuck Bella! I just can't get enough of you." He kissed her forehead as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Bella giggled and nodded her head. "I know exactly how you feel. I love you so much, Jasper." She leaned up on her elbow and kissed his mouth. "Your mouth…" she pulled his hand to her lips, "your hands…" she sat up and placed a soft kiss on the head of his cock, "your cock…and most of all," she kissed the skin over his heart, "your heart."

Jasper felt the tingle of her lips as she kissed his different body parts. He drew her face to hers and gently ran his lips across hers. "I love you too, darlin'. I'm so glad I finally let myself feel the love I have for you." He stared into her dark eyes, getting lost in the love and lust he found there. "Bella, I meant it when I said I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I know this is all way too quick, but I know deep down in my heart I don't want anyone else but you. This isn't the way I wanted to do this, but…" he pressed his forehead against hers, "darlin', will you marry me?"

Bella's eyes widened when she realized what Jasper had just asked her. He wanted to get married and he didn't even know about the baby yet. Suddenly she felt fear rip across her heart. _Oh God! Why didn't I tell him about the baby already? What if he doesn't want to be saddled with a baby? _These thoughts were rushing through her mind.

Jasper felt Bella tense up against him and began doubting himself. "Bella? What's wrong? If this is too soon for you, I can wait. I just want you by my side for eternity."

Bella shook her head as tears filled her eyes and fell down her face. "No, I want you for eternity too, but there's something I need to tell you. I should've told you earlier, but I was afraid to."

Jasper was surprised to see the tears and used his thumbs to wipe them away. "Bella, it hurts to see your tears. You know you can tell me anything. I love you, darlin'. Please tell me," he pleaded with her.

Bella nodded her head and took a deep breath. _Here it goes…_she thought. She could only hope that he would be happy. "Jasper, remember when I was sick and Edward came to see me?" At his nod, she continued. "Well…that wasn't the only morning I had been sick." She looked into his beautiful eyes that were full of love for her. She knew she had to get her secret out before she chickened out again. "Jasper, I'm pregnant!" She closed her eyes and held her breath as she waited for him to respond.

**A/N sorry for leaving this here, but I wanted to get this posted. Don't worry, though. I'll have the next chapter up in a couple of days. Please review and let me know what you thought.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N sorry to all my readers for the cliffie in the last chapter, but honestly I wasn't for sure how I was going to do this. Hope it was worth it!**

**Thanks to everyone for your reviews and alerts. It really means a lot!**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing but a fantasy!**

_Jasper felt Bella tense up against him and began doubting himself. "Bella? What's wrong? If this is too soon for you, I can wait. I just want you by my side for eternity."_

_Bella shook her head as tears filled her eyes and fell down her face. "No, I want you for eternity too, but there's something I need to tell you. I should've told you earlier, but I was afraid to."_

_Jasper was surprised to see the tears and used his thumbs to wipe them away. "Bella, it hurts to see your tears. You know you can tell me anything. I love you, darlin'. Please tell me," he pleaded with her._

_Bella nodded her head and took a deep breath. __Here it goes…__she thought. She could only hope that he would be happy. "Jasper, remember when I was sick and Edward came to see me?" At his nod, she continued. "Well…that wasn't the only morning I had been sick." She looked into his beautiful eyes that were full of love for her. She knew she had to get her secret out before she chickened out again. "Jasper, I'm pregnant!" She closed her eyes and held her breath as she waited for him to respond._

"Bella! Quit daydreaming and get to washing! We've only got a couple of hours until you officially become Mrs. Jasper Whitlock!!! Hurry up!" Alice was bouncing all over the cabin, laying out the dress Bella was going to wear. It was a surprise she had worked hard on, trying to get it done in time.

"Alice, please calm down. You're making me more nervous than I already am. Why don't you go get ready and I'll finish up here." Bella wanted nothing more than to be left alone. She hated to hurt her best friend's feelings, but geez! A little of Alice really went a long ways. She picked up the soap, got a good lather going and began washing her hair.

Alice rolled her eyes at the girl who was like a sister to her. "Ok Bella, but I'm warning you…I'll be back in a little bit to help you get ready. You better be finished!" With that warning, Alice headed towards the door. Before she stepped out, she turned to face Bella. "I'm really happy for you, Bella. I know you two are going to have your happy-ever-after!" She blew her a kiss and left the cabin.

Bella smiled and shook her head. She rinsed her hair and sat back in the tub, determined to relax as much as she could. She was so nervous, but more than that, she was excited. She was marrying Jasper Whitlock, the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on! She rested her hand on her abdomen, trying to feel the little bump there. How could she have ever doubted Jasper's love? She thought back to when she told him about the baby.

_Flashback_

"_Jasper, I'm pregnant!" She closed her eyes and held her breath as she waited for him to respond. She was afraid to look at him, afraid of seeing a look of rejection in his eyes. After a few minutes, which felt like hours, she decided to be brave and face him. What she saw brought more tears to her eyes._

_Jasper was stunned. Of course he knew that it could happen, but the fact that it never had made him think there was something wrong with him. He stared at Bella wondering if it was a joke, but her fear and tears told him different. A baby? He was going to be a father? Finally, it hit him…they were going to have a baby! He was going to be a father! A wide smile crept up on his face. "I'm going to be a dad!" He scooped Bella up in his arms and held her to him. He lowered his head to her stomach and placed gentle kisses on it. "Hey baby, I'm your dad!" _

_Bella wiped the tears from her face, trying to stop their flow. The relief she felt was tremendous. She placed her hands on Jasper's face, drawing it up to hers. "You're happy?" she whispered to him._

_Jasper stood up with Bella still in his arms and spun her around. "Happy? Darlin' I am more than happy! I am ecstatic! Having a baby with the woman I love is a dream come true!" He paused a minute and looked into her tear-stained face. "Wait…are you happy?"_

_Bella giggled, kissing every inch of Jasper's face she could reach. She leaned back and looked into the slate eyes she loved so much. "So…does your proposal still stand?"_

_End of flashback_

That had been almost a month ago. Tonight she was finally getting married and tomorrow she would step foot in the country Jasper loved so much, so much that he risked his life looting British ships for the gold they carried. Bella smiled to herself as she thanked the country that led him to her.

"Bella! I can't believe you're not out of the tub! Get out already…I'm sure all the soaking you have done made you clean enough," Alice grumbled. She held out a towel and waited for Bella to stand. "Come on! I don't have much time to make you the most beautiful bride in the world! Bella, it's going to be wonderful. Who knew Jacob was the leader of his tribe and could perform the ceremony?"

Bella stood up and let Alice wrap the towel around her as she stepped out of the tub. She stood quietly as Alice dried her off, still babbling. "It would be funny to see though, a captain performing a wedding ceremony for himself." She giggled while Bella just rolled her eyes.

Alice handed Bella her chemise and left her to put it on while she gathered everything she needed to get Bella ready. She stood behind the chair and waited for Bella to sit. Once Bella was comfortable, Alice began combing out her long wavy hair and twisted it up into a pile on top of her head. She left a few tendrils of hair hanging down, framing Bella's face. When she was satisfied with her hair, she picked up the dress she had left on the bed. Bella felt the tears welling up in her eyes when she saw the dress. "Oh Alice…it's beautiful! I love you so much!"

"Well, I didn't have enough time to really make it fluff out, but at least it's an original, right?" Alice joked, trying to bring a smile to Bella's face. The truth was that Alice was very proud of her dress. She helped Bella into it and stood back to take a good look at her creation. It was made out of a shiny gold material she had found in the hold. Edward told her they had picked it up on a stop in China. The dress was cut low in the front and draped down Bella's body. The sleeves poofed out and gathered around her wrists. The length would drag the ground behind her. Bella had made a compromise with Alice regarding her footwear. She had agreed to give Alice free reign on the dress and hair as long as Bella could go barefoot. "It looks beautiful on you! At least you're not showing yet, except your breasts are a little fuller. Try to stay in the dress, ok?" She grabbed Bella and gave her a hug.

A knock interrupted the girls. Alice ran to the door and yelled, "Who is it? Jasper, if that's you, you better get the hell away from this door! You know it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!"

"Alice…it's Jacob. I've got something to give to Bella."

Alice opened the door and stepped away as Jacob entered the room. He took one look at Bella and let out a whistle. "Damn girl! If Jasper wasn't one of my best friends, I'd try to steal you away!" He chuckled when he saw her face turn red. "Seriously, I want to give this to you." He held out a leather, braided bracelet. "This is something I made for you to give to Jasper. I made him one too. It's just a little something that my people give their mates."

Bella reached out and studied the bracelet. It was a masterpiece of beauty. The leather was very soft and supple. "Jacob, it's beautiful," she whispered as she reached up on her tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you so much for doing this for us. It means a lot to me and I know it means a lot more to Jasper."

Jacob wrapped his arms around Bella and gave her a light hug, careful not to mess up her dress. He didn't miss Alice giving him the eye, ready to pounce on him if he wrinkled it. "Bella, Jasper means the world to me and you do too. I mean really…there's not many females who can get me drunker than a skunk playing blackjack and poker!"

Bella had to laugh at that memory. "Well, maybe after the baby is born, do you think you'll be up for the challenge again?"

Jacob released Bella and began walking towards the door. As he opened it, he turned around and snorted. "Like I said before, bring it on!" He was laughing as he closed the door behind him.

Alice noticed Bella biting her lower lip and decided to give her best friend a little boost to calm her nerves. She poured two glasses of wine and handed one to her. "Before you become a married old woman, I want to propose a toast." Bella giggled as she raised her glass. "Bella, I just wanted you to know how lucky I feel that you are in my life. You are the best friend a person could ever have. You put up with me when I know I can drive you crazy. You let me dress you up and fix your hair when I know you could care less. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I'm very proud to call you my sister. So here's to us, sis!"

They clinked their glasses together and took a long drink. Bella lifted up her glass. "My turn now! I'm the one that's lucky, Alice. I can't imagine you not being in my life. You are there for me whenever I feel like my world is going crazy. You're patient with me when I know I drive you nuts. You are the sister my parents never gave me. Thank you for being my sister."

Once again they clinked their glasses together and finished their wine. They set their glasses on the table and then giggled together at the same time. "Bella…you're getting married and having a baby! I am so excited!" They wrapped their arms around each other as they heard another knock. Once again Alice went to the door. "Who's there?"

This time they heard Edward's deep voice. "It's me, Edward. Are you girls ready? It's time." Alice squealed as she opened the door to let him in.

Like Jacob, Edward whistled as he saw the girls. "You two look beautiful. Bella, are you ready? Jasper's waiting very impatiently for you." He chuckled when he thought of calm, cool and collected Jasper nervously waiting with Jacob. Edward was so happy that Jasper had finally opened his eyes and heart to let Bella in.

"I'm ready. Let's go." Bella answered him in a low voice. _This is it…this is it…_she thought to herself as she grabbed the bracelet Jacob had given her off the table. She waited as Alice tucked her hand around Edward's arm. She took a deep breath and nodded as the pair turned to look at her.

Bella followed behind Edward and Alice out the door and down the steps to the deck where she saw Jacob and Jasper. The rest of the crew were standing in a circle around them, but Bella didn't notice them. She couldn't keep her eyes off of Jasper as she took in the handsome man that was going to be her husband in a few minutes.

Jasper watched as Bella came down the steps and knew he had never seen anyone as beautiful as her. He let out a deep breath as he realized he had been holding it. As Edward stepped to the side to stand beside him and Alice stood beside Bella, Jasper knew this was one of the best days of his life. He took Bella's hand in his and kissed the back of it. "Darlin', you look so beautiful, you take my breath away." He held her hand as they turned towards Jacob.

Jacob's deep voice began. "Isabella, please face Jasper, and hold Jasper's hands, palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you.

These are the hands of your best friend, vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his life.

These are the hands that will work along side yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your inner most secrets and dreams.

These are the hands that look so large and strong, yet will be so gentle.

These are the hands that will work long hours for you as a new family.

These are that hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief wrack your mind.

These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into his eyes: eyes that are filled completely with his overwhelming love and desire for you.

Jasper, please hold Isabella's hands, palms up, where you may see the gift that they are to you. These are the hands of your best friend, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as Isabella pledges her love and commitment to you all the days of her life.

These are the hands that will hold you in tender love, soothing you through illness and hurt, supporting and encouraging you along the way, and knowing when it is time to let go.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.

These are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick, or console you when you are grieving.

They are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.

These are the hands that will hold you in joy and excitement and hope, each time Isabella tells you about dreams for your future.

These are the hands that will give you support as Isabella encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together as a team, everything you wish for can be realized.

May these hands always be held by one another. Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the dark of disappointment. Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their wondrous love. Help these hands to continue building a relationship founded in your  
grace, rich in caring, and devoted in reaching for your perfection. May you both see your four hands as healer, protector, shelter and guide."

"Take the bracelets you have been given and place them on each other's wrists."

Bella took Jasper's hand in hers and placed the bracelet on his wrist. She lifted his hand to her mouth and placed a soft kiss on the inside of his wrist. She looked up and saw tears in Jasper's eyes that matched her own. Jasper gave her a loving smile as he repeated what Bella had done.

Jacob continued, "You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.  
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.  
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.  
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,  
And let the winds of heavens dance between you.  
Love one another, but make not a bond of love:  
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.  
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.  
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.  
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,  
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.  
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.  
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.  
And stand together yet not too near together:  
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,  
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow."

"Jasper, do you take Bella to be your mate from now until eternity?"

Jasper smiled as he responded, "I do."

"Bella, do you take Jasper to be your mate from now until eternity?"

Bella couldn't help the wide grin that crossed her face. "I do."

Jacob took their hands and joined them together. "Now you will feel no rain,  
For each of you will be shelter to the other.

Now you will feel no cold,  
For each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now you are two bodies,  
But there is only one life before you.

Go now to your dwelling place  
To enter into the days of your togetherness.

May your days be good and long upon the earth."

"Jasper, you may now kiss your bride."

Jasper wrapped his arms around Bella and leaned down to softly brush his lips on hers. Bella hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. She caught his lower lip between her teeth and gently bit down. When he let out a low growl, she slipped her tongue in his mouth and caressed his tongue with hers. He pulled back and whispered to her, "Can't wait for the honeymoon to start darlin'." He chuckled as Bella winked at him and replied, "Me either!"

**A/N the wedding blessing was from a website I found by Judith Todd-McNichol. The link is on my profile.**

**I would like to thank Cullen818 for her kind words and rec on her blog. I was tickled pink when I sent her an email asking for her honest opinion and she told me how much she liked my story! Coming from a great author like her, it really meant a lot. For any of you that has been living under a rock and not read her trilogy, go read these great stories! **

**But first…please review and let me know what you thought!!!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N I just wanted to thank everyone for their kind words & thoughts regarding my dad. He's doing fine & is on the fast track to getting back to his hobbies and life.**

**To the one reader that thought my last chapter was too fast, I'm really sorry you felt like that. It's just that I wanted to end their time on the ship. I mean…come on! 20 chapters and they're still on the freaking ship!lol I wish you would've logged on before you reviewed so I could've explained this to you sooner.**

**I listened to "Come A Little Closer" by Dierks Bentley (on replay) for this chapter. What a romantic song! The link is on my profile. Take a minute and click on the link…;p**

**Disclaimer: Nothing but a fantasy…**

_Jasper wrapped his arms around Bella and leaned down to softly brush his lips on hers. Bella hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. She caught his lower lip between her teeth and gently bit down. When he let out a low growl, she slipped her tongue in his mouth and caressed his tongue with hers. He pulled back and whispered to her, "Can't wait for the honeymoon to start darlin'." He chuckled as Bella winked at him and replied, "Me either!"_

Everyone crowded around the newlyweds, hugging Bella and shaking Jasper's hand. Alice still had tears running down her face. "It was so beautiful! I know you two are going to be happy." It didn't escape Bella's attention that Edward stood beside Alice and put his arm around her, pulling her to him. Alice smiled as she leaned into him. She gave Bella a shy smile when she saw the raised eyebrow on her face. Bella was shocked! In all the time she had known Alice, she never knew her to be shy. She would have to question her best friend about this later.

Edward's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Welcome to the family, Bella." He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear. When he pulled back, he looked between the married couple and Bella knew he was thanking her for loving Jasper. She also knew that he had it all wrong…it should've been her thanking him for opening Jasper's eyes to his true feelings. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek, "no…thank you!"

It all got quiet when Demitri stood in front of her. The altercation between the two didn't escape the memory of all. Jasper tightened his arm around her as Demitri spoke. "Lady Isabella, I'm truly sorry about what transpired between us. I always thought you were a spoiled brat, but I can see what a remarkable woman you are. I've known Jasper for a while now and any female that could win his heart has to be." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. He bowed from the waist and went to turn around.

He stopped when he felt Bella's hand on his arm. "Demitri, I'm sorry for the words I said to you. Although I didn't understand at the time, I can now see my father for the man he is. If Jasper and the rest of the men trust you, then who am I to question your loyalty? By the way, please call me Bella."

Jasper looked at Bella, feeling quite proud of her. He knew how angry she was at Demitri in the beginning. He kissed the top of her head and tucked her hand in his arm. "Thank you everyone for witnessing our wedding vows. This is truly one of the happiest days of my life. I'm sure I also speak for Bella when I thank you for sharing it with us. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for all of us, but for tonight, please enjoy the food and drink that's been prepared." He waved his hand towards tables that were laden with a feast.

Bella stared up at Jasper, once again wondering how she had gotten so lucky in finding, loving and being loved by a man like him. She tugged at his arm and when he bent down to her, she whispered, "I'm not really hungry for food…"

Jasper had to laugh when she wiggled her eyebrows at him. He arched his own eyebrow at her when her face turned red. "Love, you know your wish is my command." He turned back to the crowd, "Enjoy yourselves!" He scooped Bella up in his arms and took off towards their cabin. When everyone started whooping and hollering, Bella tucked her face in his neck and felt a chuckle rumble in Jasper's chest.

After they entered their cabin, Jasper set Bella down on her feet. She looked around the room and gasped at the candles lit all over the room, a soft glow covering the cabin. "Alice…"

Jasper placed his hand against the small of Bella's back and drew her to him. He clasped her hand with his and pulled it to his chest. He began humming in her ear as he danced her across the floor. He lifted her hand and spun her around, dipping her backwards when she turned to him. He lowered his head until his face was inches away from hers and whispered, "Now begins the rest of our lives."

At Jasper's words, Bella felt her stomach tighten with anticipation. Jasper lifted her back up, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, a gentle caress on her lips. "Bella, I love you so much and I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make you and our child happy." He deepened the kiss when he felt Bella's arms wrap around his neck, pulling the curls at the nape. When she needed to breathe, he began placing wet kisses along her jaw and down her neck.

Bella tilted her head to give Jasper more access to her neck, moaning at the sensation of his tongue running along her collarbone. She stepped back when he pushed her dress off of her shoulders and down her body, where it pooled at her feet. Jasper's eye's widened when he saw she had been naked underneath her dress. "Naughty girl, aren't you darlin'?" he murmured in her ear, gently biting her earlobe.

Bella bit her lower lip and nodded slyly, giggling. Jasper ran his hands across her shoulders and down her arms. He grabbed her hands and intertwined her fingers with his, all the time placing wet kisses around her face. He slowly walked her backwards to the bed where he gently laid her in the middle of it. Bella was panting as she watched him undress. When he was naked, he stood at the foot of the bed and started crawling towards her. Bella saw the look of desire and lust in his eyes and a shiver ran through her body. She licked her lips in anticipation of what was going to happen.

Jasper picked up one of her feet and began kissing it, moving up her calf. Bella felt his tongue stroke the back of her knee and moaned, the sensuous feel shooting straight down into her core. "Jasper…please…" His answer to her was a smirk as he moved up her inner thigh. Bella spread her legs even further trying to entice him to where she needed him the most. Jasper chuckled as he grabbed her other foot and repeated his actions, keeping up the same pace.

By the time Jasper had reached Bella's thigh, she had had enough. With a growl, she sat up and pushed Jasper backwards until he was lying flat on his back. She crawled up his body until she was sitting on his stomach. She leaned down to plant kisses around his face, along his jaw and down his neck. She bit down hard on the skin covering his collarbone and when he groaned, she gently caressed it with her tongue.

Jasper pulled her face up to his and plunged his tongue in her mouth, exploring every space he could find. He ran his hands down her body until they landed on her hips. He began moving her back and forth, creating a friction Bella felt all the way to her toes.

"Oh Jasper!" she moaned between clenched teeth. She ran her hands down his chest, pushing herself backwards until she felt his hard cock pressing against her ass. She lifted up and lined her core up with him. "I love you," she whispered to him as she lowered herself, feeling him fill her slowly.

Jasper caressed her breasts as she arched her back. He gently pinched her hardened nipples, causing a low moan to escape her swollen lips. She bent down until she was laying against his chest, both of them enjoying the friction of their nipples rubbing each other. "I will never get tired of this, darlin'," he murmured in her ear, nipping at her earlobe.

Bella sat back up, and using his chest as leverage, she met him thrust for thrust. When her movements became erratic, Jasper pulled her back down to him and grabbed her ass. He held her up as he began thrusting hard into her. "That's it, darlin'. Cum for me…"

Bella felt herself go over the edge, her walls clenching around Jasper's cock. He slowed his movements, letting her come down slowly and gently. When her breathing calmed, he flipped her over and started pounding into her. He wrapped his arms around her knees, bringing them up to her chest. Feeling him go even deeper inside of her, Bella felt herself reaching another orgasm and screamed his name. He spilled his seed into her as she milked him for all he had.

When he got his breathing under control, he met her gaze. "I love you, Bella. You are my life."

"I love you too, Jasper Whitlock." She pulled him down to meet his lips. She sighed as she felt him pull out of her, missing the feeling of him buried deep inside of her.

He got up and walked to the wash basin and brought back a wet rag. He cleaned her, gently running the rag between her legs. He smiled at her when she jerked as the rag hit her sensitive clit. He climbed back into bed and pulled her against his chest.

Bella felt his hands running through her hair, massaging her scalp. He chuckled when he heard her sigh of contentment. "We better get some sleep, darlin'. We've got a big day ahead of us." He leaned in to inhale her scent. "Goodnight, my Bella."

Bella scooted back into his chest as far as she could. Tomorrow their life together really started. She was worried about how his family would react to her and their marriage, but decided there wasn't anything she could do about it. "Goodnight, my Jasper," she mumbled before she fell asleep, wrapped in the strong arms of her husband.

**A/N wasn't my best…I know! I was just in a hurry to get this out there. please let me know what you thought. Also, if you have written any good (by good I mean citrusy ;p) stories, please let me know in your review. I'm all the time looking for some good (;p) stories to read!**

**Cullen818 has started her Fan Fiction Frenzy website! Check it out! Here's the link:** **www (dot) fanfictionfrenzy (dot) com. It's at its beginning stages, but knowing her, it will be fantastic! **

**I'm starting a new story titled "She Talks to Angels" and hope to have the first chapter posted by Friday. Put me on author alert so you don't miss it. I'm really excited about it!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N Sorry it took me so long to get this out. Thanks to everyone for sticking with me. I really love hearing what you think, so thank you for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a fantasy…**

_Bella scooted back into his chest as far as she could. Tomorrow their life together really started. She was worried about how his family would react to her and their marriage, but decided there wasn't anything she could do about it. "Goodnight, my Jasper," she mumbled before she fell asleep, wrapped in the strong arms of her husband._

Jasper finally opened his eyes, having a very restless night. His emotions were all over the place, feeling excitement and anxiety. Anxious because they would have to get the gold to General Washington so they could fight King George's army. He had to admit to himself that he was also nervous about pulling off the story on how the girls ended up on his ship.

Most of all, he was excited because they would finally be home today and he couldn't wait to show Bella her new home and family. He knew that Carlisle, Esme and Emmett would love Bella, but it was Rosalie that worried him. She was very over-protective when it came to him, especially after Maria. He still felt embarrassed when he thought of how Maria had hidden her true nature from him, even when his own family had tried to tell him.

Jasper pulled Bella closer to him and inhaled her scent. He closed his eyes and thanked God for bringing her into his life. He couldn't imagine living the rest of his life without her. Their baby was just icing on the cake. He cupped her breast in his hand, noticing how it had gotten fuller. He smiled to himself as he thought of her belly growing with their child inside of her.

Bella woke up to Jasper caressing her breast. Her back was against his chest and she could feel his erection pressed against her ass. When he licked his finger and ran it around her hardened nipple, Bella moaned as she arched her back, pushing herself further into his hand. She wiggled her ass against him and felt him chuckle. "It's about time you woke up, darlin'. I've been laying here waiting for you to open your beautiful eyes."

He placed his hand on her thigh and brought her leg back over his. He ran his hand slowly down her chest and between her legs, feeling how wet she was for him. With one hand fondling her breast and the other running through her wet folds, he began stroking her. Bella began moving her hips, trying to deepen the friction. She could feel how hard he was and reached behind herself, taking him in her hand. She guided him between her legs and rubbed her soaking core on him. Jasper rocked his hips back and forth, slipping inside of her. They both groaned at the sensation, him at the heat surrounding his cock and her at the feeling of being filled.

Jasper ran his lips along Bella's jaw, stopping at his favorite spot on her neck. He gently bit down on the spot under her ear. "I love you, darlin'," he murmured.

"Me…too…" Bella panted as she reached around and grasped Jasper's ass. She pushed back to him as he thrust into her. "Faster…harder…" she moaned.

Jasper wrapped his arm around her thigh and lifted it, giving him access to go deeper. He felt his orgasm nearing, but wanted to make sure she got off first. He began rubbing her clit between his fingers and when he pinched it, Bella's body began convulsing, her walls milking his cock. "Jasper!" she screamed as she felt herself cumming hard, seeing stars.

"That's it, love. Cum for me…" Jasper whispered between his clenched teeth. He thrust into her a few more times and then he fell over the edge. He held Bella close to him as they both tried to get their breath. He ran his hand down her side around to her abdomen as they came down slowly.

"You can wake me up like that anytime!" Bella giggled.

Jasper chuckled as he tried to pull out of her. Bella kept pushing herself backwards, not wanting to lose him yet. "Darlin', we've got to get up and get ready. There's a lot we have to do before we land. We'll have plenty of time to make love when we get home."

He felt Bella tense at his words. "Everything is going to be fine. You are my wife and we're going to have a baby. My family's going to love you." He stroked her hair, trying to send out as many calming waves as he could. He knew this was going to be hard for her, but he would be right by her side. "Come on, let's get dressed."

He finally pulled out of Bella's tightness and they both groaned at the loss. He stood up and held out his hand. She placed her hand in his and let him pull her out of bed. "Thank God I'm not getting sick anymore. I don't think I could handle that too."

Jasper smirked and patted her on her ass as he walked over to the chair to get his clothes. He turned to catch Bella staring at him. He raised an eyebrow at her and chuckled when her face turned red. "It's ok, darlin'. I love looking at you too."

Bella returned the smirk and gave him a cheeky wink. "You are one fine specimen of a man…" She was interrupted by a knock on the door. "That's probably Alice." She wrapped the sheet around her naked body.

Jasper finished buttoning up his shirt and opened the door. Sure enough, Alice was bouncing on her feet, excitement bubbling over at the thought of finally reaching land. In her hand, she held a plate full of fruit. Jasper grabbed some before heading out. He turned back around and looked at Bella. "I'll have Jacob draw up some water for a bath. I'll join you as soon as I get things ready for our landing." He turned back to Alice. "Thanks for breakfast."

As soon as he was gone, Alice ran to Bella and threw her arms around her. "So…Mrs. Whitlock…"

Bella giggled at her new name. "I don't know if I'm ever going to get used to that."

"Sure you will! I'm sure every married woman thinks that at first." Alice kissed her best friend on the cheek. "For now, we have to decide on what you're going to wear when you meet your in-laws for the first time."

Bella groaned and then rolled her eyes. "I don't even want to think about meeting them." Her voice lowered, "what if they don't like me? What if they don't approve?"

"Isabella Marie! I can't even believe you're worried about that! You can spend all day thinking about all the 'what ifs" but it's not going to matter in the end. Jasper loves you and that's the end of it. I'm sure he'll take care of everything. Personally, from what Edward has told me, the only person that might give you a hard time is Rosalie. But that's only because she's very protective over Jasper. I'm sure when she sees how much you two love each other, she'll come around."

Bella pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she nodded her head. "She's his twin, so it's only right…especially after what happened to their parents and with Maria." She straightened up and looked at Alice, "You're right though, I can't worry about the 'what ifs'. I've got a husband to take care of and a baby on the way…"

Alice interrupted her by throwing her arms around her. "That's my girl! Now, Edward told me that we could go down below and get whatever we need." She eyed the sheet Bella had wrapped around herself and smirked. "Although I'm sure Jasper loves you walking around in nothing but a sheet, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't appreciate his crew seeing you that way!"

Bella's face flushed with embarrassment. She grabbed her clothes and quickly got dressed. She pulled her hair back with a strip of leather Jacob had given her. She turned back to Alice, "Ok, I'm ready."

* * *

Jasper stood at the railing of the ship, his arm wrapped protectively around Bella's waist. They could see land off in the distance and he couldn't help the excitement that threatened to burst out of him. He leaned down and kissed her on top of her head. A carriage would be waiting for them to take them home. Jacob and the rest of the crew would load everything up in separate wagons to bring to his house.

He tightened his grip around Bella's waist, which made Bella turn to him. She looked up to his face and gave him a nervous grin. He smiled back at her and gently kissed her on her lips. "I love you, darlin'. You look beautiful."

Hearing Jasper's words helped to calm Bella's nerves. She had found a deep red dress and matching shoes. She twirled her wedding bracelet around her wrist, thankful for something to keep her hands busy. If she couldn't have her hands on Jasper's body, the bracelet was second best.

Bella looked over to Alice and had to laugh. Her best friend was literally bouncing on her feet. She was leaning over the rail, as if that would make the ship go faster. Edward had his hands on her waist, prepared to pull her back if she went too far. He turned to Bella and smirked.

All too soon, their ship was pulling up to a port. Bella and Alice took in the sight of their new home, their new country. People rushed around, either coming or going. There were other ships there, but Bella thought Jasper's was the best looking one.

The crew prepared the ship for disembarking and the two couples slowly made their way down the gangplank. The crew was divided into two groups, one group carried the chests of gold to the wagon while the others carried the personal items to the carriages. Jasper opened the door to their carriage and helped Bella in. "I'll be right back, darlin'. I need to go speak to Edward for a minute. Will you be alright?"

Bella leaned down and kissed Jasper. "I'll be fine." Jasper nodded and closed the door before walking towards the other carriage. Bella watched his retreating figure and couldn't help but admire his form.

Jasper leaned in the door of the carriage. "Edward, I'd like to go and make the rounds introducing the girls to the family before I take Bella home. I want to get it all over with."

Edward knew that Jasper wanted to spend some time with the family, but he knew his cousin wanted to get his new wife settled in her new home more. "That's fine, Jas. I say we start with Rosalie and Emmett's first. That way I can get Alice settled in at mom and dad's."

Jasper nodded his head and then chuckled. "Get the worst over with first, huh? I know Bella's more nervous about meeting Rose than she is anyone else."

Edward laughed, "Well, we'll just expect the worst and then it can only get better from there."

Jasper shook his head as he walked back over to his carriage and got inside. He leaned out the window and told the driver to head to Rose and Emmett's house. He settled in beside Bella and drew her to him. He could feel how tense she was and knew there were no words that could soothe her. He wrapped his arms around her and began humming to her. He felt her relax against himself and smiled.

Bella sighed as she felt the tenseness leave her body. It always amazed her that he could do that with one touch. It was like he knew exactly how she was feeling. She watched out the window, waiting for her new sister-in-law's house to show up. After what seemed like an eternity, she felt the carriage slow down. She turned to Jasper to see a gentle smile on his face. "We're here, darlin'. Just remember that you are my wife and I'm your husband. There's nothing that can come between us, nothing anyone can say or do. I already told you that Rose can be a bitch, so please don't let anything she says upset you."

He opened the door when she nodded her head and jumped out. He turned and helped her out of the carriage. When she was steady on her feet, Jasper placed his hands on both sides of her face and leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers. He stared into the beautiful brown eyes, getting lost in the love he saw there. "Me too, darlin'. Are you ready?"

Bella stood up on her tiptoes and gently ran her lips across his. She lowered back down and wrapped her cloak around herself. She rolled her neck and straightened her shoulders. She stood proud and wrapped her arm through Jasper's. "Ok, let's get this over with."

**A/N I've posted the first chapter of "She Talks To Angels." Please go check it out. Fair warning…it's completely different than "Tears of Gold."**

**Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter… **


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N sorry this took so long. Please read the A/N at the end of this chapter. Thanks to Jaspers Izzy for rec'ing this on their blog! It just makes my day when I find out author's I absolutely love are reading my stories!!! ;p**

**Disclaimer: still own nothing…**

_Bella stood up on her tiptoes and gently ran her lips across his. She lowered back down and wrapped her cloak around herself. She rolled her neck and straightened her shoulders. She stood proud and wrapped her arm through Jasper's. "Ok, let's get this over with."_

Before Jasper could knock, the door was flung open and a woman launched herself into his arms. He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her and returned her hug. "Rosalie, I'm glad to see you too!"

"It took you long enough to get back home. I was so worried about you!" She kissed both sides of his face before noticing Bella. Rosalie took a step back and looked pointedly at her. "Jasper, who's this?"

Jasper placed his arm around Bella's waist and drew her to him. "Rose, this is my wife, Bella."

"W-wife?" Rosalie sputtered as she glared at Bella. After a struggle, a facade of calm settled over her face. "I see…"

Bella met her gaze and held out her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you Rosalie. Jasper speaks very fondly of you."

Rosalie ignored Bella's hand and looked her up and down. "Come on in. Jasper, I think you have some explaining to do." She turned and walked into her house.

Bella's face burned with embarrassment as Rosalie disregarded her. She glanced out the corner of her eye and smiled to herself. Edward had his hands gripped tightly on Alice's shoulders, holding her in place. She could tell Alice was ready to tear Rosalie limb for limb.

She felt Jasper's arm tighten around her as he leaned down. "I'm sorry, darlin'. I'll fix this real fast," he whispered to her. "Rosalie?" He waited until she turned back to him. "Bella is my wife. If you disrespect her, you disrespect me and that I cannot accept. You're my sister and I love you dearly, but Bella is my life now. I was hoping that you would be happy for me, but if my happiness means nothing to you, we'll just leave."

Rosalie was shocked that her brother would talk to her like that. It wasn't that she didn't want him to be happy; she just didn't want another Maria incident to happen to him again. Her eyes drifted between Jasper and Bella, noticing how close he held her to him. She saw the bracelet Bella wore on her wrist and touched the one that she wore on her own wrist.

She smoothed down her dress and ran her hand through her hair. "You're right Jasper. Where are my manners? If you and Edward would escort the ladies into the parlor, I'll have Manny bring us some tea."

Alice walked over to Bella and wrapped her arms around her. "Don't worry, Bella. She'll come around, just remember that she's protecting Jasper."

Bella nodded as Jasper led her in the house. Her eyes widened as she took in the beauty of the foyer. She could only imagine the rest of the house matched. Her thoughts were interrupted by a huge man running down the spiral staircase.

"Jasper! Edward! So good to have you both home…" he stopped when he noticed Bella and Alice. He winked at the men, "Well, well, well. Who have we here?"

Jasper rolled his eyes at his brother-in-law. "Emmett, this is Alice Brandon and this is my wife, Bella. Ladies, this is my brother-in-law Emmett McCarty."

Emmett grabbed Alice's hand and placed a kiss on the back of it, bowing. "Miss Brandon, it's very nice to meet you."

"You too, Mr. McCarty," Alice giggled.

Emmett straightened up and walked a circle around Jasper and Bella. "Your wife, huh? I'll be damned! I never thought you would ever marry." He wrapped his arms around Bella's waist and lifted her up in a bear hug. "Welcome to the family, Bella! You have managed to do what every single woman in this town has failed to do…turn Jasper from his wicked ways!"

"Emmett…can't…breathe…" Bella gasped.

Jasper grabbed a hold of Emmett's arms and pulled them away from Bella. "Bella? Are you ok?" he asked, concerned for her and their baby.

Bella nodded her head and laughed. "Yes, he just took my breath away for a minute."

Emmett threw back his head and chuckled. "That's what all the ladies say! Come on inside. It looks like we've got a lot to talk about." He placed Bella's hand through his arm and led them to the parlor, where Rosalie was waiting.

After they were all seated and the tea was poured, Rosalie began, "So Bella, how did you and Jasper meet?"

Bella gave Jasper a loving smile before turning her attention to his twin. She noticed how Rosalie was a female version of her husband. They both shared the same slate colored eyes, high cheekbones, aquiline nose and blonde hair. The only difference in their facial features was she had long straight hair and her eyes didn't share the warmth Jasper's did.

Jasper spoke up before Bella could answer. "Rose, for now let's just say that we met on the high seas and leave it at that. We met, fell in love and got married." The look he had on his face told Rosalie not to ask anymore questions. "I will warn you and Emmett that Bella was headed to South Carolina to wed Lord Breighton."

Rosalie stiffened at the mention of the man's name. "And you don't think that's going to cause a problem?"

Edward cleared this throat. "We've thought about that and decided we'll deal with it if it ever comes up."

"Well, that makes me feel better," she quipped.

Bella decided that she needed to speak up. She grasped Jasper's hand in hers and stared at Rosalie in the eyes. "Rosalie, my parents had arranged a marriage to Lord Breighton without my knowledge of it or the man. Alice and I had already decided that we were going to get "lost" as soon as we landed. There was no way I would ever marry a man I didn't love." She lifted Jasper's hand to her lips and ran her lips across his knuckles. "I found that love with Jasper."

It didn't escape Rosalie's notice that Jasper was beaming with pride as he kissed the top of Bella's head, murmuring his love for her. She sighed in defeat. "Bella, I'm sorry about the way I treated you earlier, but you have to understand that after our parent's deaths, Jasper is all I have left. I tend to be very protective of him." She glared at Emmett when he let out a snort. "Ok, maybe a little over-protective."

Bella smiled at Rosalie, happy to accept her apology. "I do understand and I know that I have to earn your trust. But I swear to you that I love Jasper with all my heart and will never do anything to risk the love he has for me."

The rest of the morning was spent talking and laughing. At one point, Edward mentioned Alice's ability to design gowns. When Rosalie squealed at the news, Alice offered to show her some of her designs. Bella and Jasper sat back and enjoyed the scene before them.

After a while, Jasper stood up and held out his hand to Bella. "We're going to head out over to Carlisle and Esme's house. I want to get home before dark."

As they were standing at the front door, Emmett bowed in front of Alice once again. "It was my pleasure to meet you."

Alice gave him a bright smile. "Me too, Emmett."

Emmett gave Bella another hug. "Bella, I'm glad Jasper found you. I can tell that you two love each other very much."

"Thank you, Emmett. We really do," she said with a grin.

Alice turned to Rosalie. "We'll get together and see what gowns you want. I think I'll be staying at Edward's parent's house until I get settled."

Rosalie nodded her head. "Sounds good to me. I can't wait!" She turned to Jasper and wrapped her arms around his neck. "If this is what you want, I'm behind you 100%. I only want the best for you, brother."

Jasper nodded his head as he hugged her back. "Thanks Rose. That really means a lot to me," he whispered in her ear. He straightened back up and looked at his sister and brother-in-law. "We need to get together and discuss some things. In a few days, would the two of you come over? I'll invite Carlisle and Esme. I want to give Bella some time to get used to her new home."

"Sure, Jasper. Just let us know when for sure and we'll be there," Emmett answered him.

They headed towards the carriages and Jasper helped Bella in and sat down beside her. He placed his hands on her cheeks and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He leaned his forehead against hers and whispered, "I love you, darlin'. I'm so glad Rose came around. To tell you the truth, that went a lot better than I thought it was going to."

Bella pulled back and tilted her head. "You doubted my ability to win her over?" she teased.

Jasper chuckled. "Never, darlin'."

Bella gave him a peck on his lips and snuggled into his side. She was relieved that Rosalie finally accepted her marriage to Jasper. She would've hated to come in-between the siblings. She gazed out the window, watching the scenery go by. It wasn't long before they pulled in front of Carlisle and Esme's house.

Jasper opened the door and helped Bella out. He put his arm around her shoulders and followed Edward and Alice to the door. A tall, gray-haired black man opened the door. "Master Edward! Master Jasper! It's so good to see you both. Master Edward, your parents are in the library. Go on up there and I'll bring some tea and refreshments."

Edward patted the butler on his back. "William, it's good to see you too. Allow me to introduce Alice Brandon and Bella Whitlock."

William's eyes went wide. "Whitlock?"

Edward laughed at the shocked expression on his face. "Yes, it seems like our Jasper fell in love and got married."

William faced Jasper. "Congratulations, sir. I'm happy to hear that." He bowed to Bella and Alice. "Ladies, it's very good to meet you two. Now, you go on up to the library and spread the good news."

"Thank you, William," Jasper replied.

"Ok, guys. Let's go see mom and dad." Edward led the group up the stairs and to the library, where Carlisle and Esme sat, Carlisle reading a book and Esme doing embroidery.

Esme was the first to see the group. She jumped to her feet and ran to her son. "Edward! When did you get back?" She hugged him and kissed him on his cheek. "Jasper! How are you?" She gave him the same welcome she gave to her son.

Both of the men laughed. "We got in this morning, but stopped by Rosalie's house so Jasper could introduce Bella to her. Mom, dad…this is Alice Brandon and Bella Whitlock."

Carlisle's eyes travelled between Jasper and Bella. "Whitlock? Does this mean what I think it does?"

Jasper laughed. "It does, Carlisle."

Esme squealed and hugged Alice and Bella. "Oh Bella! You don't know how glad I am that Jasper finally found someone he wanted to settle down with. I just about gave up on him."

Alice and Bella laughed as they hugged her back. "Thank you, Esme. That seems to be the consensus," Bella told her. She could see that Edward got his good looks from both parents, the bronze hair and green eyes from Esme and his crooked grin and cheekbones from Carlisle.

"Well, everyone have a seat. I'm sure you're exhausted from your trip." Carlisle waved his hand around the room.

Once everyone was seated, Edward turned to his mom. "Mom, Alice needs a place to stay for a while. I told her that I was sure you wouldn't mind if she stayed here."

"Of course, sweetheart. We have plenty of room. Why don't you have her bags brought in so she can get settled?"

Alice hopped over to Esme and threw her arms around her. "Thank you so much. I promise I won't be a bother." When Bella snickered, Alice turned to her and stuck her tongue out, which made everyone laugh.

Jasper stood up and reached out for Bella. "Well, Carlisle and Esme, I'm going to take Bella home. I've invited Emmett and Rose to come over in a couple of days to discuss some things and I think you two need to be there too. I'll send someone over to tell you what day. Does that sound ok?"

Carlisle gave him a puzzled look. "Sure, son. Bella, it was very nice to meet you. Welcome to the family."

"Thank you, Carlisle. It was nice to meet you and Esme too. I'm looking forward to your visit." Bella walked over and gave them both a hug. She looked at Alice with a stern expression on her face. "Alice…be good!" A snort and roll of the eyes was the response she got.

Back in the carriage, Bella snuggled into Jasper's side. She felt content and excited at finally going to her new home. She gazed out the window, seeing acres and acres of farmland.

Jasper's deep voice interrupted her thoughts. "I've always loved this land. As a child, Edward and I would ride our horses all day, just exploring. It's this love for our land that makes us want to fight against King George. All of this was passed down to me and it makes me want to fight harder to ensure that I'm able to pass it down to our children." He kissed the top of Bella's head, inhaling her scent.

The rest of the ride was spent with Jasper regaling Bella with more stories of his childhood. Although Bella could sense his longing to have his parents alive, she could also feel the pride he had in himself for making the plantation a success.

All too soon, the ride was almost over. Magnolia trees lined the driveway on both sides. Bella gasped as she stared at her new home. The house was white, two-story and had six columns gracing the front of it. Wide steps led up to a wrap-around porch. Flowers grew everywhere. She turned to Jasper in awe, "It's beautiful!"

Jasper smiled at her. "Welcome to Whitlock Plantation, darlin'."

All of a sudden, the front yard was alive with men, women and children bustling about, excited that their master was finally home. An extremely huge black woman was barking orders. Jasper laughed when he saw the shocked expression on Bella's face. "That's Mamie. She's been with us all my life. You'd think she runs this place the way she goes on."

When the carriage finally stopped, Mamie strode over to open the door. "It's about time you got yourself home, Master Jasper."

Jasper laughed as he exited the carriage. He kissed Mamie on both cheeks and bowed from the waist. "I missed you too, ma'am!" He turned to give Bella a hand, but Mamie pushed him aside.

"Get out of the way, boy! What did you bring home for Mamie?" When she saw Bella, she stopped and turned to Jasper. "I guess the question is _who_ did you bring home?" She reached in and helped Bella out of the carriage. She immediately eyed the bracelet Bella wore around her wrist. Once Bella had her feet firmly on the ground, Mamie turned to Jasper with tears on her face. "Master Jasper, did you go and get us a new mistress?" she asked in a soft voice.

Jasper wrapped his arm around Bella's waist. He grinned and nodded his head. "Mamie, it's my pleasure to introduce you to Bella Whitlock, mistress of the Whitlock Plantation. Bella, this is Mamie. She runs this place," he said with a chuckle.

Mamie pulled Bella away from Jasper and held her to her huge chest. Bella's eyes were wide as she heard Mamie mumbling to herself. "Lordy, Master done gone and finally got us a missus. My prayer has been answered." She held Bella out and looked her over. She turned to Jasper and glared at him. In a low voice she asked, "Master Jasper, you ought to be ashamed of yourself, traipsin' around the countryside with the mistress and she be carryin' a baby in her belly."

Bella looked at Jasper in shock. He laughed and kissed Mamie on the cheek. "There's nothing that gets by you, is there?" He turned to Bella and chuckled. "Darlin', you'll find that Mamie knows all and sees all."

Mamie snorted and pulled Bella towards the door. "You just bring in the bags while I take Miss Bella in the house. Miss Bella, you come with me and old Mamie will take care of you. How 'bout a hot bath? Are you hungry? You know you're eatin' for two now."

Bella turned her head to look at Jasper in stunned silence. He smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders. "It's a lot easier if you just go along with her, love."

"Natty! Draw the new missus a hot bath!" Bella jumped when Mamie shouted to a young black girl.

"Yes, a hot bath does sound wonderful," she answered softly. As she walked through the door, her eyes widened at the grandeur of her new home. This was nothing like she expected to find in such a new country. She didn't know exactly what she expected, but it wasn't this. Mamie introduced her to the help as they passed, but didn't stop until they reached a closed door. She tried to pay attention to what Mamie was telling her, but she was having a hard time keeping up.

"I'll take it from here, Mamie." Jasper's deep voice interrupted Mamie. He opened the door and set their bags down on the floor. He pulled Bella to his chest and pressed his nose in her hair.

Mamie gave him a wicked look. "Yes sir," she said slyly. "I'll have Natty set the tub up in a few minutes, after you get the missus settled." She kissed Bella on the cheek. "I'm might proud you're here, Miss Bella."

Bella returned the kiss. "Me too, Mamie." She watched as Mamie went back down the stairs and yelped when she felt Jasper pick her up. He carried her into their sitting room and to their bedroom. He gently set her down on her feet and watched as she walked around the room. "Jasper, this is beautiful," she whispered.

"Whatever changes you want to make is fine with me. I want you to make this your home too." He strolled over to her, helping her remove her cloak. His hands slowly made their way down her arms and around her back. "I have so many dreams for us, darlin'." He leaned down and ran his lips along her jaw and down her neck.

Bella began panting. "D-do you? L-like w-what?" She tilted her head, giving him access to her neck. She shivered when he lightly nipped and sucked at the spot where her neck met her shoulder.

Jasper backed her up to the four-poster bed and whispered in her ear. "I dream of making endless love to you, watching your body quiver at my touch knowing that it is my hands and body making you feel like that."

Before she knew it, Bella's dress was pooled around her feet and Jasper was unbuttoning her chemise. "Jasper, what about Natty?" She was breathing heavily as she began undressing him. She knew she should be concerned that the servant could walk in anytime, but honestly couldn't find it in herself to care.

Jasper laid her in the middle of the bed and stared into her dark eyes. "Don't worry, love. Mamie won't let her interrupt us."

Bella gazed into those slate eyes that she loved so much and nodded her head. "Then what are you waiting on?" she asked with a smirk.

Jasper returned the smirk. "Well, I was just helping you get undressed so you'd be ready when Natty got here with your bath." He started to pull away from Bella.

Bella wrapped her hands in Jasper's blonde hair and pulled his face closer to hers. "I don't think so! I guess I'll just have to take charge." She wrapped her legs around his waist and flipped them over. She ran her lips across his, kissing each corner of his mouth. She slid her wet folds along his hard cock, gliding back and forth. When Jasper moaned, it was Bella's turn to pull back. "Now that I've thought about it, you're right…"

She squealed when Jasper flipped her over on her back and before she could blink, she felt him thrust into her. "Oh…Jasper…more…"

Jasper smiled against her neck. He absolutely loved being buried inside of Bella. It gave him a feeling he had never felt before. He was finally at peace with himself and his life. He leaned on one arm and wrapped the other one around her waist, pulling her hips closer to him. "Hold on, darlin'. This is going to be fast and hard."

Bella wrapped her legs around his thights, digging her heels into his ass. "Let's go, love. Show me what you've got." She immediately felt Jasper pounding into her.

Their moans and groans mingled together, as did the sheen on their bodies. Faster and harder, their hips met each other's thrust until they both reached the pinnacle of their love. Slowing down their movements, Jasper and Bella gently kissed, enjoying the feeling of being in each other's arms. He rolled them over so they were on their sides, facing each other, still connected.

Wrapped up in Jasper's arms, Bella felt her eyelids slowly drooping closed. She inhaled his scent and sighed. He ran his hand through her hair, massaging her scalp. "Go to sleep, Bella. Mamie will have a hot bath and supper ready when we get up." Bella nodded and allowed her body to succumb to fall asleep, knowing she was finally home.

**A/N ok, I wrote and re-wrote this a million times. I wasn't for sure how I wanted Rose to react, but I decided that I didn't want her to be a bitch. I finally just wrote and didn't proofread. Hope I didn't disappoint too many people.**

**Please review and let me know what you thought. Suggestions, ideas and constructive criticism are always welcome.**


	24. Chapter 24

_Wrapped up in Jasper's arms, Bella felt her eyelids slowly drooping closed. She inhaled his scent and sighed. He ran his hand through her hair, massaging her scalp. "Go to sleep, Bella. Mamie will have a hot bath and supper ready when we get up." Bella nodded and allowed her body to succumb to sleep, knowing she was finally home._

Bella woke up with sunlight streaming across her face. Keeping her eyes shut, she thought about the past few days and the whirlwind of activity that occurred in those days. She had been introduced to the rest of the servants and found that everyone seemed very happy that Master Jasper had found a wife. She smiled to herself when Mamie whispered to her that she didn't have to be concerned about remembering their names and positions just yet. The old woman must have noticed the helpless expression on Bella's face.

Bella reached over and found Jasper's spot empty. She got out of bed and walked into their sitting room. She stopped in the doorway when she noticed Jasper standing in all his glorious nakedness, staring out the open French doors. The wind gently blew his hair and the sun brought out the gold highlights in it. He stood with his legs spread shoulder-wide and the scene brought back memories of him standing on the deck of his ship. She admired the toned muscles on his body for a few minutes before moving behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his back.

"Good morning, Jasper," she whispered to him, not wanting to interrupt the peacefulness of the room.

Jasper turned around and taking her in his arms, kissed her gently on her lips. "Good morning to you, darlin'. Did you sleep well?"

Bella nodded her head. "I did, although it's different than sleeping on the ship. To tell you the truth, I miss the rolling waves of the ocean lulling me to sleep."

Jasper chuckled as he ran his nose through her hair, inhaling the lavender scent that seemed to surround her. "I know what you mean. It usually takes me a few days to get used to being on dry land again."

Bella closed her eyes and sighed. She really missed being on the ship. She thought about him staring out the doors and asked, "What were you thinking about before I so rudely interrupted you?"

Jasper tightened his arms around her. "Darlin', you could never rudely interrupt me. But to answer your question, I was just thinking about the family meeting we're having today. We're going to have to explain everything to them so everybody can be prepared. They know what we do when we're out, but they also need to know the particulars about our trip. I also want to tell them about the baby. I'm pretty sure the women are going to go a bit crazy at the news."

Bella groaned as she thought about Esme and Rosalie's reaction to the news of the pregnancy. She was sure that Esme would be excited, but was worried about Rosalie's reaction. Jasper had told her that being a mom was the one thing that Rosalie wanted, but so far, hadn't been able to succeed. She decided that she would deal with everything as it happened. "So…how long do we have before everyone shows up?" she asked demurely as she ran her fingernail down Jasper's chest. She smiled as she felt his response pressing against her stomach.

Bella squealed as Jasper picked her up and carried her back to their bed. "I think we have just enough time," he growled in her ear. He laid her down in the middle of the bed and crawled up between her legs, keeping his eyes locked on hers. He smirked when he noticed her nipples getting hard. "Just enough time for me to lick you," he began running his tongue along her inner thighs. "Just enough time for me to suck you," he pressed his mouth against her swollen clit and pulled it with his lips. "Just enough time for me to fuck you with my mouth," he began thrusting his tongue in and out of her wet core.

Bella gasped as her body reacted to Jasper's words and actions. She absolutely loved it when he talked dirty like that. She began thrusting her hips back into his mouth, enjoying the sensation of his tongue in her and wanting more. She fisted her hands in his hair and tried to pull his mouth closer to her. She lost control of her body when she felt him push two fingers inside of her as he twirled the tip of his tongue around her clit. "Oh Jasper…feels so good…love you…love your hands…love your mouth…" She placed her feet on his shoulders and lifted her hips, meeting his fingers and tongue with every thrust. Her eyes were closed as she slowly shook her head from side to side, her moans filling the air.

She opened her eyes when she felt Jasper pull away from her. He flipped her over so she was on her hands and knees. He ran his hard cock through her folds, lubing up with her own juices. "I want to be inside you when you cum. I want to feel you coat my cock with your cum," he whispered in her ear as he slowly entered her from behind.

Bella sighed in contentment as she felt Jasper fill her. She knew that as long as she lived, there would never be anything that felt so good. She looked over her shoulder to watch his face, loving the expression of bliss that only she could evoke. She began rocking back and forth, meeting him thrust for thrust. It wasn't long before she felt that familiar ache begin in her lower abdomen. "I'm so close…please…harder…" she breathed in between moans.

Jasper grabbed her hips and started pounding into her. "Like this?" he growled, "I will never get enough of you…your tight pussy wrapped around my hard cock…do you like it when I pound into you?"

Bella's answer was to push back harder into him, his words arousing her higher than ever. She felt him pull her up so her back was against his chest, the new position giving him free reign to run his hands over her body. Her back arched when he took her nipples between his fingers, pinching and rolling them. "Oh Jasper…" she murmured.

"Feel good? How about this?" he asked as he ran his hand down her stomach and between her legs. "So fucking wet for me…" he groaned into her ear. When he began rubbing circles on her clit, Bella screamed her release. Jasper pumped into her a few more times to draw out her orgasm before letting himself go, feeling her walls clench around him. Once their breathing returned to normal, he gently pulled her down on the bed, still connected and still wrapped around her. He knew that as long as he lived, there would be nothing better than being sheathed deep inside of her.

He gently ran his hand through her hair, slowly working out the tangles from their lovemaking. "Darlin', as much as I would love to spend all day in bed with you, we've got to get dressed. Everyone's going to be here soon and you have to make sure Mamie has everything ready." He felt her walls clenching around him and groaned. He slapped her on her ass when he heard her giggle. "Stop that! Do you want everyone to find us here in bed?" When she wiggled her hips, he laughed and pulled out of her. He climbed out of bed and held out a hand to her, which she frowned at before accepting. "We'll continue this after everyone leaves, ok?"

"Hmph, we better," she muttered.

* * *

After a quick bath, Bella and Jasper finally made it downstairs to find the servants in a frenzy. They were all excited because of the upcoming picnic. Jasper had always allowed the servants the day off after the meal was fixed so they could enjoy the time with their own families, many from the neighboring plantations. Everyone would be bringing food and drinks which would be shared by all. Bella was shocked that Jasper would do this, but not surprised. Her husband was a very good man. She wrapped her arm around his and pulled his face down to hers. "I love you," she said, kissing him on his cheek.

He smiled down at her. "I love you too."

Bella was startled when Mamie suddenly appeared beside her. It never failed to amaze her how fast the large woman was. "Come on, Miss Bella. The families are goin' to be here any minute now. You should've been down here long before now." She gave Jasper a disapproving eye. He just smirked at her and winked. She let out a snort and grabbed Bella's arm, pulling her away from him.

Bella looked over her shoulder at Jasper and mouthed an I love you to him. She soon lost sight of him as Mamie dragged her over to the tables that were set up. Two tables were loaded with food and Mamie handed her vases of flowers to place on the other five tables, one for the family and the other four for the servants. Once again Bella was surprised that they would all be eating together.

When Bella heard her name being yelled, she turned just in time to brace herself against Alice's full-forward run. "Oh Bella! I've missed you," she screamed as she wrapped her arms around her best friend.

Bella laughed and returned the hug. "Alice, it's only been a couple of days." Deep down, she was equally thrilled to see her. "How are things going at Carlisle and Esme's?" she asked.

Alice smiled. "Everything is great! They have made me feel so welcome. Esme is the perfect mother figure. You'll love her."

Bella was glad that they had accepted Alice. She knew that it took a special kind of people to put up with her antics. She smiled to herself when she thought of everything they had been through. "I'm really glad. Everything is perfect here." Then she frowned. "I'm still trying to figure out who is who and who does what, but Mamie is so helpful. Come on, I'll introduce you to her." She leaned over to whisper in Alice's ear. "She kind of runs this place, so get ready." She grabbed Alice's hand and pulled her to where she had last seen her.

Jasper leaned back against a magnolia tree and smiled as he watched his wife greet Alice. Everything was going so perfectly and he was afraid of what could happen to ruin it. There was a list of things that could go wrong, but the one thing he could count on was the love his family had for each other. He had finally found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and he'd be damned if anything happened to ruin that. He pushed himself away from the tree as he saw Edward, Carlisle and Emmett walking over to meet him.

Emmett was the first to speak. "Hey Jas! Rose and Esme added more food to the feast that's laid out on the table. I've been waiting for this all day." A pout crossed his face. "Rose wouldn't let me eat any of it even though she knows I'm starving."

The other men laughed. Emmett was a huge man and looked tougher than hell, but everyone knew that Rose had him wrapped around her little finger. Jasper put his arm around Emmett's shoulder and pulled him towards the tables. "Ok, let's all gather around the tables," Jasper yelled out, getting everyone's attention. "Carlisle, would you like to say grace?"

Carlisle nodded. Everyone joined hands and bowed their heads, all were equal at this special dinner. "Father, we just want to thank you for allowing us to gather here today and enjoy the feast you have provided us with. We welcome you to join our fellowship. We are so thankful for the new additions to our family and ask that you bless Jasper and Bella's marriage with your love. In Jesus's holy name we pray, amen."

"Amen!" everyone repeated as they picked up their plates and started piling the food upon them.

Jasper stood at Bella's side, explaining to her what some of the dishes were. He told her to just try everything as she tried to figure out whether she would like it or not.

Everybody had a good time, talking and laughing. Bella's eyes widened when she saw all the food Emmett had on his plate. She was even more surprised when he ate it all and went back for seconds. Rosalie noticed and chuckled at Bella. "You just have to get used to it. He eats like this all the time."

Emmett frowned. "Hey! You guys quit talking about me. I have to eat a lot to maintain my manly figure." He didn't stop shoveling food in his mouth. Rosalie rolled her eyes as Bella and Alice giggled.

Soon everyone had gotten their fill and the women began cleaning up. Jasper looked across the table at Carlisle and motioned to him. "Carlisle? I think we need to have a family meeting. There's some things that you all need to know."

Bella heard the urgency in Jasper's voice and turned her head towards him. He noticed her looking at him and smiled. Bella returned the smile, but felt nervous about how the family was going to react. She walked over to him and intertwined her fingers with his. He squeezed her hand to calm her and pulled her down to sit by him.

Once the servants had returned to their cabins, the rest of the women joined the men at the table. Jasper began, "I need to tell you guys how Bella and I met because I'm sure it's going to come up later." He looked around the table at his family and hoped everyone would take the news well. "What Edward and I do while we're out at sea is no secret to anyone here." When everyone nodded, he ran his fingers through his hair. "That's how we found Bella and Alice. They were on their way to South Carolina where Bella was to marry Lord Breighton." As soon as Jasper mentioned the name, Rosalie bristled. She knew that the man wanted their land and never failed to mention it every time they met. "Demitri and Felix had worked for Bella's father, Lord Swan and knew he was sending gold to help the redcoats here. Lucky for us, the men also worked for us and alerted us to the fact. The one thing that they didn't tell us was that there would be two ladies on board. When we attacked the ship, we found the girls hiding below deck and brought them to our ship. One thing led to another," he leaned over and pressed his lips against Bella's hair, "Bella and I fell in love."

Bella lowered her head, knowing her face was beet red. When she heard Rosalie's snort, she jerked her head up. She was shocked at the anger that marred her sister-in-law's beautiful face. "My God Jasper! What have you done? Did you not think that Lord Breighton is going to come after Bella? Did you not think that they are going to come after you for plundering that ship? Did you think at all?" She got up and began to storm off before Jasper's next words stopped her.

"Rose, what's done is done. There's no going back to change anything and even if I could, I wouldn't. I would do everything exactly the same," Jasper's voice got louder as the rest of the family sat still. "Bella is my wife, the love of my life and the mother of my child."

Bella could only stare at Jasper as he revealed their secret. This wasn't the way she wanted to let them in on it, but now that they knew, she was anxious for their reaction. She looked around the table, smiling when she got to Edward and Alice's face. They looked so proud, Bella felt like they should've been the ones to announce the baby news. She saw the huge grin on Carlisle, Esme and Emmett's faces but was afraid to look at Rosalie.

"Bella?" Rosalie said softly. When Bella faced her, Rosalie continued, "once again I let my emotions get the best of me. As you may have noticed, my family's safety is my top priority. I know it all stems from my parents being murdered, but it's also something that will be with me forever." She walked back to Jasper and Bella, taking their hand as she knelt down in front of them. "A baby?" When Jasper nodded, she jumped at him wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh my God Jasper! You're going to be a daddy! I'm going to be an aunt!"

Bella was still in shock at Rosalie's reaction. One minute she was mad as hell and then the next, she was crying and laughing. Bella hoped that one day she would understand her.

Jasper sighed in relief. The family took their news better than he imagined they would. He cupped Rosalie's face with his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears that had fallen. He smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah, Rose, I am and you are."

Carlisle cleared his throat, not wanting to break up the scene before him, but needing to know more. "Jasper, just how are you going to explain having Bella as your wife? Rose was right, Lord Breighton isn't going to just sit back and not do anything."

Edward glanced at Jasper. "Well, dad…here's the story that we came up with. We had gone to France to pick up supplies and on our way back, ran across a ship that was on fire. We stopped to help whoever was on board and only found Bella and Alice, who had been hiding. The ship had been looted and left to burn. No one but us knows the truth and there's no proof to the contrary."

Carlisle rubbed his chin as he thought about this explanation. After a few minutes he chuckled. "It seems like you have thought this through. I don't think it'll stop Breighton from trying to get Bella back, but it will stop anyone from accusing you of attacking the ship."

Esme reached across the table and took Bella's hand in hers. "Sweetie, we need to have a party to introduce you to everyone as Jasper's new wife. We could have it here, or if you'd allow it, I'd love to host it at my house. I'm sure Alice and Rose will help plan it."

Alice jumped out of her seat and ran to Bella. "Oh Bella! It's perfect! Everyone will meet you and I can get to know the women around here. Who knows? Maybe I'll find my own mate," she snickered.

Bella laughed but inside she was hoping Alice was right. She wanted Alice to be as happy as she was. "Sounds like a good idea. Esme, if you truly don't mind, I'd love to have it at your house. That way, if I get too nervous, I can always leave." She smiled to let everyone know she was kidding, but in the back of her mind she knew that at least you would have the option. She was a little scared of actually meeting all of Jasper's friends. _What if they don't approve of me? _she thought to herself.

Jasper leaned towards her and pressed his lips against her hair. "Everyone will love you," he whispered in her ear. Bella gazed into his eyes and fell in love with him all over again. He was so in tune with her feelings and knew how apprehensive she was.

"Thank you," she whispered back, her appreciation showing on her face. She turned to face Esme again. "Ok, so when are we doing this? Honestly, I'd rather it be sooner than later. My pregnancy is beginning to show and I'd just as soon not have everyone talking about that just yet."

Esme smiled at her like only a mother could. "Honey, it's not going to matter to the single women around here. They're already going to be jealous that you were the one to win our Jasper's heart when they couldn't. But to make you feel better, how does a couple of weeks sound? It's the social season now and I think we can manage to get everything ready in time."

Emmett threw back his head and laughed. "Oh this is going to be good! Jasper, you know that Maria never gave up on getting you back. In fact, she's been going around town telling everyone that as soon as you returned from your voyage, the two of you would be engaged again."

Rosalie let out a growl. "Over my dead body is that skank getting her claws back into Jasper! I'll kill her first! Jasper is married now and has a baby on the way. Bella, I understand that you don't want anyone to know yet, but when you two are ready, please allow me the pleasure of telling Maria and her whore friends."

Jasper knew how much Rose hated Maria and he also knew that she would take great pleasure in rubbing Maria's face in it. He was happy to admit that he really didn't care one way or another how she found out. He was thrilled over his growing family and wanted everyone to know. "However Bella wants to share the news is fine with me, Rose. Just please respect her feelings on this." He smiled when Rose nodded her head in agreement. He felt Bella's head rest on his shoulder and knew that she was getting tired, even though she would never admit to it. "I think it's time we called it a day. Thank you all for sharing it with us and for all your support. We really appreciate it and love you for it."

Once everyone had left, the servants gathered the leftovers and brought them to their cabins, to be enjoyed later. Jasper led Bella to the swing hanging on the porch. He sat down and pulled her into his lap. "I love you, darlin'." He began placing small wet kisses along her jaw and neck, running his hands across her stomach. He loved the thought that his son or daughter was growing inside of her. A piece of him and a piece of her, combined to make them.

Bella leaned back and tilted her head, giving Jasper full access to her neck. She shivered as she felt him gently nip her collarbone. She placed her hands on his and sighed. Never in a million years would she have imagined being married to a man she adored and who loved her just as much. "I love you too Jasper, so much." She closed her eyes and enjoyed the thrill running through her body. "I do believe you have a promise to uphold?"

"I haven't forgotten, my love." She squealed as Jasper picked her up and carried her into the house. She giggled as he took the steps two at a time, just as eager to make love as she was.

**A/N Tears of Gold has been nominated for "Best Original Storyline" in the Darlins 2nd annual Everything's Bigger in Texas contest! Thank you so much to whoever nominated my story!!! If you want to vote for Tears of Gold, here's the link: http:// jaspersdarlins(dot)blogspot(dot)com. Even if you don't want to vote for my story, there's some very good ones being nominated so go check them out!!!**

**Also, I want to give a huge shout-out to christine30974, abbymickey23 and LBK (all caps! *winks*) for their great work in making banners for my stories. They are totally "fuckawesome" so check them out on my profile!!!**

**Once again, I want to thank everyone who takes the time to review. It really means the world to me to find out how you think I'm doing with these chapters. Thanks for adding me and my story to your favorites and for putting me and this fantasy on alert.**

**Now…review and go vote!!! ;p **


	25. Chapter 25

**a/n thanks to everyone for the reviews, adds and alerts. I also want to give huge thanks to abbymickey24. I really appreciate everything you've done!!! If you haven't read any of her stories, you're missing out on some great j/b action. You need to go check them out…after you've read and reviewed this chapter first, of course! Lol**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my piratesper *winks at jaspers izzy***

_**Previously**_

_*****************_

_Bella leaned back and tilted her head, giving Jasper full access to her neck. She shivered as she felt him gently nip her collarbone. She placed her hands on his and sighed. Never in a million years would she have imagined being married to a man she adored and who loved her just as much. "I love you too Jasper, so much." She closed her eyes and enjoyed the thrill running through her body. "I do believe you have a promise to uphold?"_

"_I haven't forgotten, my love." She squealed as Jasper picked her up and carried her into the house. She giggled as he took the steps two at a time, just as eager to make love as she was._

_************_

Jasper woke to the sun streaming in their bedroom, a ray of light casting a golden glow across Bella's face. He smiled to himself as he took in her peaceful and serene face. He heard her quietly snore as she breathed between slightly parted lips. He tightened his grip around her body as he remembered the tender love they had shared the night before. One of the many things that he loved about her was that she could be innocent and virginal one night and change into a wanton vixen the next.

He grimaced as he thought about Maria and how close he came to missing out on the love of his life. Maria…always so sure of herself and the effect she had on other men. Men desired her and they both knew it. He could remember strutting around town with her on his arm, fully aware of the envious stares he received. What a fool he had been, but not anymore. Now he was happily married to a beautiful and honest woman who was carrying his child. He softly placed his hand on Bella's abdomen and noticed the small bump that was beginning to form. He knew he was grinning like a fool, but couldn't find it in himself to care. This was his child, their child…a product of their love.

He pulled her closer to his chest and inhaled the scent that was all Bella. It was the smell that always relaxed him. He closed his eyes and pictured a brown haired, brown eyed little girl running through their house, giggling as she tried to hide from her papa. He saw his beautiful wife sitting on the sofa watching the two of them with love in her deep dark eyes, her belly swollen with another child. Sleep found him with a smile on his face.

_Bella was running through the woods, her hands clasped on her protruding belly. Where she was running to or what she was running from, she didn't know. She just knew that she and her baby were in danger. She felt a sharp pain begin on her left side, which quickly made it around to the right, and fell on her knees. She was panting with fear and pain. She couldn't lose the baby now! Jasper was so happy with the knowledge that he was going to become a father. She hugged her arms around her stomach and felt the tears streaming down her face._

_So lost in her fear and pain, she didn't notice the man stepping out from behind a tree. A menacing laugh snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked up to face the danger. A tall man, with his blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, stared back at her. All pain was forgotten as she gasped, recognizing the man from the woods long ago. _

_He was shaking his head slowly side to side, tsking at the sight before him. "Isabella, Isabella, Isabella. What have you gone and done? You are mine and yet you have laid with another man and are carrying his child. What are we going to do about this, huh?"_

_The fear came back, crashing down on her in waves. "Who are you? What do you want?" she whispered._

_The man threw back his head and laughed. "I am the man to whom you belong. What I want is you, although without the bastard child you are carrying." He tapped his finger on his chin, as if he were deep in thought. "Not to worry though, that could be easily fixed."_

_Bella couldn't help the groan that escaped her lips, the pain in her abdomen coming hard and quick. She knew she was going into labor and the terror of delivering here, with this dangerous man, made her shake. She knew the life of her child was in danger. _

"_Ah Isabella, it looks like the babe is ready to be born. I've never played the role of midwife before, but I think it really doesn't matter. We can deliver the baby and then do what we need to do. It angers me that you won't be the virgin I was promised, but I'm sure I can find a use for you," he chuckled. "Now lay back and let's get this over with." As he was speaking, he pushed her so she was laying on her back._

"_Please," Bella begged him, "please don't hurt my baby!"_

_The man's eyes narrowed as he pushed her dress up around her waist and pulled her pantaloons down. "Isabella, I told you that you belong to me and I'm not accepting this package deal." He leaned down, his face inches away from her core and inhaled. His eyes rolled back in his head as his nostrils flared. "Your scent is so enticing, I can't wait to try you out. I can teach you so much on how to please a man."_

_Bella couldn't comprehend his words as the need to push consumed her. "Arg…" she screamed, "the baby's coming!" She felt herself tear as the baby began to emerge. She pushed one more time and instantly felt relief. She looked down between her legs and was horrified as she watched the man use his teeth to rip the umbilical cord._

"_You had a girl, Isabella. Do you want to hold her?" he asked her. When she silently nodded her head, he placed her daughter in her open arms. "See? I can be nice. Although, don't become too attached. We're not going to keep her," he sneered at her, "I can't have proof that you betrayed me running around for everyone to see."_

_As he reached over and snatched her daughter out of her arms, Bella began crying. "No!" she screamed, her arms stretched out to him. "Please don't take her! Please…"_

"Bella, wake up! It's just a dream, baby. Wake up…" Jasper ran his hand through Bella's hair, kissing her forehead.

Bella eyes shot open as she quickly sat up. "Don't let him take our baby, Jasper!" she gasped. Her eyes were wild, glancing around the room.

Jasper pulled her back into his arms, encasing her in his warm embrace. "Darlin', everything's ok, it was all a nightmare. You're safe and our baby is safe." He began rubbing circles on her back, trying to get her to relax. She took a deep breath and slowly relaxed in his arms. "Do you want to tell me about it, love?"

Tears began falling down her cheeks. "Oh Jasper, it was horrible! There was this man who kept telling me that I belonged to him. I went into labor and had the baby. He let me hold her before he took her away. He said that there couldn't be proof that I betrayed him." She buried herself further into Jasper's chest, drawing the warmth his body provided into her own. She couldn't stop shivering.

Jasper tightened his arms around her. "Bella, it was a dream, that's all. I would never let anything happen to you or our child." He turned her around so he could look into her tear-filled eyes. "Baby, you are my life and I will spend the rest of that life making sure you have everything you could ever need and that includes your safety." He gently kissed her eyelids and ran his lips across her cheeks to her lips. He felt her body shudder and smiled into her lips. He held her close to his chest until he felt the sobs come to an end.

"It seemed so real though," she mumbled.

"I know, darlin'. Hey, I've got an idea…how about if we take a ride today? Mamie can pack us a picnic lunch and we can just spend the day relaxing?" Jasper asked, wanting nothing more than to get her mind off of her nightmare. He leaned away from her so he could see her beautiful face. When she nodded her head, Jasper untangled his body from hers and got out of bed. "You just lay right here while I let Mamie know what we need, ok?" He hated it when she had her nightmares because it usually took her a while to get over them. When she nodded her head again, he pulled on his pants and left the room.

While Jasper was away, Bella thought about her dream. She didn't want to tell Jasper that the blonde haired man had appeared in all her nightmares. She didn't know what to think about it. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered what he said to her. Once again, she couldn't help but think that her father was somehow involved with the man.

Bella shook her head, trying to get those thoughts out of her head. Jasper wanted to spend a relaxing day with her but she wouldn't be able to if she continued to think about the man and her father. She got out of bed and headed to her armoire, trying to decide what to wear. She slightly jumped when she felt Jasper's arms wrap around her waist. "Wear some breeches and a shirt," he murmured into her hair. When she turned to him with a questioning look in her eyes, he just grinned at her. "Trust me on this, you'll be more comfortable."

Bella shrugged her shoulders and grabbed her clothing. She knew Jasper's eyes were on her as she got dressed; she could see and feel the lust he was sending her way. She simply arched a perfect eyebrow at him and smiled when he gave her a sheepish grin. It was his turn to shrug his shoulders. "Can't help it, darlin'. It's what you do to me."

Bella laughed as she pulled her hair back with a leather strip. She grabbed Jasper's hand and led him out the bedroom door, already looking forward to the ride. She hurried down the stairs and stopped when she spied Mamie's dour face. "Mamie?" she asked.

Mamie had her large hands resting on her hips and glared at Jasper. "Don't know what the mister is thinkin' about takin' you out on a horse. He mustn't be thinkin' at all."

Bella giggled as she watched Jasper's face, he was trying to look stern, but failing miserably. "Mamie, don't question me. I plan on taking my beautiful wife out for a quiet picnic lunch. Everything will be fine, I promise."

Mamie snorted as she turned away. "Some men thinkin' they know better than ole Mamie…" she muttered to herself.

Jasper chuckled as he pulled Bella to himself. "One of these days I'm going to put that woman in her place," he whispered in her ear. He smiled when he heard her giggle. It was one of his favorite sounds, next to her moaning out his name of course.

They walked outside and Jasper nodded his head to the groomsman that was holding the reins to his horse. "Bella, this is Eclipse," he began rubbing the horse's nose. "You can either ride with me, or we can get one of our mares ready for you. There's a gentle one, Twilight, which has an easy gait." He looked to Bella to see what her answer was.

Bella weighed the pros and cons. Eclipse was all black except for a white star on his nose. She was slightly afraid of his size, but when she thought about being wrapped in Jasper's arms, she made her decision. "I'll just ride with you."

Jasper nodded his head and signaled for her to put her boot in his hands. "Put your foot in the stirrup and swing your other leg around. This is different than ridding side-saddle, but I think it'll be more comfortable for you."

Bella did what he said and was soon sitting in the saddle. Jasper handed her the picnic basket and swung up behind her, taking the reins in his hands. "Ready darlin'?" he asked. When Bella nodded, he gently pressed his heels into Eclipse's sides.

Bella leaned back into Jasper's chest, feeling safe wrapped in his arms. He held the reins in one hand with his other hand resting on her stomach. The day was peaceful as the wind blew through their hair and the sun beat down on their backs. After the nightmare Bella had suffered through, Jasper had hoped that their ride would take her mind off of it.

It seemed to be working. Eclipse walked at a slow pace as Jasper pointed out things of interest to Bella. He knew she had been too nervous to really take in the beautiful landscape when they first arrived. He smiled when they came to an old oak tree standing tall and proud beside a flowing creek. This was the one place he came to when he needed to be alone or when he needed to think. Before Bella, it was the only time he felt at peace. He wanted to share this with her.

He murmured in her ear, "This is my secret place." He pulled back on the reins to bring Eclipse to a stop. He swung his leg around and hopped down on the ground. When he held his arms up to Bella, she leaned down to him and let him pull her to the ground. She looked around and her eyes danced when she saw a swing hanging from a thick limb. He laughed as he led her to it, remembering how excited he was when his dad showed it to him all those years ago. He couldn't wait to bring his son or daughter when they were old enough.

When they arrived at the swing, Jasper took Bella's hand and bowed down at the waist. He kissed the back of her hand and looked up at her through his eyelashes. "My lady?" He grabbed one of the ropes and gestured to the wooden seat. He was rewarded with a giggle as Bella sat down and held on to the ropes. He began gently pushing her and had to laugh when she urged him to push her higher.

Bella had never felt so free as she soared in the air. She barely heard Jasper explaining to her to bend her knees as she came back down to the earth and then straighten them out and lean back when she left it. She closed her eyes and imagined herself flying. She had such a blissful look on her face that Jasper couldn't tear his eyes away from her. He backed away and leaned his body against the tree, enjoying watching her. He knew the feeling she was having since he had experienced it many times as a child.

When she slowed down Jasper walked back over and reached out his hand. "I'm not going to ask you if you had a good time since the look on your face tells me the answer."

Bella took his hand and jumped out of the swing. "Oh my gosh, Jasper! That was so much fun! I've never rode in a swing like this before," she gushed. "Promise me that we'll come back!"

Jasper chuckled. "Anytime, darlin'. You just let me know when you want to and we'll be here." He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her back to where they had left the picnic basket. He opened it and pulled out a blanket, which he spread out on the soft grass. When they were seated, Bella began pulling out the lunch Mamie had prepared for them and spread the food across the blanket.

They dug into the bread and cheese, washing it down with wine. Once they were done, Jasper laid back and pulled Bella with him. She nestled into his side, nuzzling her face in his chest. "Thank you for bringing me out here, this is nice," she sighed in contentment.

Jasper grinned and nodded his head in agreement. "I always loved coming out here. There's a peace that just settles into my soul. I remember one time, as a child, I had gotten into some trouble and my dad about whipped the tar out of me. He would make us pull our own switches off of the tree in front of the house…I absolutely hated that tree. Anyway, I wouldn't let myself cry in front of him so I took off and this is where I came." He laughed as he continued, "Of course I couldn't sit in the swing, but I could lie on my stomach. My dad found me later, fast asleep."

Bella was shocked. No one had ever raised a hand to her and she couldn't believe that Jasper could sit there so calmly, telling a story about how his father had punished him. "What did you do to deserve that?" she whispered.

Jasper shrugged his shoulders. "Rose wouldn't leave me alone even after me telling her to. Finally I took all I could from her and tackled her to the ground. I pulled my knife out and cut her hair off. She screamed as she saw all the hair laying on the floor. Her hair had been down to her waist, but when I got through with her, it was up to her ears. Of course, Mom and Dad came running. They didn't say a word as they looked from Rose to me to the knife in my hand to the hair on the floor. I never saw my dad as mad as he was that day." He closed his eyes as he remembered. He hated that he had made his parents angry, but he had felt justified in what he had done. He had warned Rose, but she wouldn't listen to him.

Bella was quiet for a moment and then she burst out laughing. When Jasper turned to her and quirked an eyebrow, she quickly brought her laughter under control. "I wish I could've seen the look on her face when she realized her beautiful hair was spread all over the floor." She clasped her hand over her mouth to try to stop the giggles that threatened to slip out.

Jasper gave her a wide grin. "It was priceless," was all he said.

They laid together, wrapped in each other's arms and love. The cool breeze blew over their bodies while the sun sent down rays of warmth. Bella closed her eyes and felt her body relax into Jasper's. It didn't take long for her to fall into a light sleep. Jasper felt her steady breathing and tightened his grip around her. He kissed the top of her head and closed his own eyes. The sound of birds singing and bees buzzing from flower to flower lulled him into his own slumber. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

**a/n imagine that! No cliffie this time!! **

*****i have deleted this section of my a/n. the jist of it was do you think my lemons are too graphic?*****

**Before I forget…I owe christine30974 a huge apology!!! I mistakenly called her "caroline30974" check out the banners she, abbymickey24 and LBK made for me. the links are on my profile.**

**Please review and then go vote in the darlin's everything's bigger in texas contest!!! The voting is coming to an end!!!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my Piratesper…**

**Previously**

_They laid together, wrapped in each other's arms and love. The cool breeze blew over their bodies while the sun sent down rays of warmth. Bella closed her eyes and felt her body relax into Jasper's. It didn't take long for her to fall into a light sleep. Jasper felt her steady breathing and tightened his grip around her. He kissed the top of her head and closed his own eyes. The sound of birds singing and bees buzzing from flower to flower lulled him into his own slumber. He fell asleep with a smile on his face._

"Come on, Bella! Stop squirming and sit still! How do you expect me to fix your hair if you keep moving around?" Alice gave Bella's hair a little tug to press her point. She was trying to pull Bella's hair to the top of her head, but Bella was nervous and couldn't stop fidgeting.

"Alice, I swear if you pull my hair one more time I'm going to scream. Just leave it down." Bella sat in front of her vanity mirror, drumming her fingers on the table. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and once again wished she had said no to the party. Her nerves were on edge because she knew that she would be meeting Jasper's friends and the elite of the city. She wasn't worried about impressing anyone, she had been trained in the courts of England, but she did want his friends to like her.

"Bells?" Alice leaned down and wrapped her arms around Bella's shoulders. "It's going to be ok. Jasper loves you, the Cullens love you, Rose and Emmett love you…well, Emmett loves you." Bella rolled her eyes when she saw the smirk on Alice's face. "We'll all be there."

She was dressed in the beautiful gown she had worn when she and Jasper had taken their wedding vows. It wasn't a style that women here would wear, but Bella felt more confident in it. She knew that when Jasper saw it, he would remember the day they had made their pledge of love to each other.

Bella sighed. "Ok Alice, you win. Just hurry ok? It's almost time for us to leave."

Alice smiled and quickly finished fixing Bella's hair. She stood her up and led her to a full-length mirror. "Ta-da! Magnificent if I do say so myself," she said proudly.

Bella twisted and turned, looking at her reflections from different angles. As always, Alice had done a wonderful job. Her hair was pulled back into a French twist with loose tendrils framing her face. She wore diamond earrings and necklace that had belonged to Jasper's mother. She gave Alice a quick hug. "Truly you can work magic."

Just then, Jasper entered their room. He stopped when he saw Bella, his eyes drinking in her beauty. Alice's giggle brought him out of his reverie and he walked to Bella, taking her in his arms. "You are a sight to behold, darlin."

Bella planted a light kiss on his lips before pulling back and admiring her husband. Jasper was dressed in tight, dark green breeches that hugged his muscular legs, tucked inside black boots. His waistcoat matched the breeches and outlined his broad shoulders. "You too, my love."

"All right, all right," Alice interrupted. "It's time to go."

They rode in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Alice was excited to see what the other women would be wearing, Bella was nervous about meeting everyone that was anyone, and Jasper was concerned about his meeting with the General.

Before they knew it, they pulled up in front of Carlisle and Esme's mansion. They were escorted into the house and Bella gasped at all the people that were milling around. "Everything will be fine, darlin'. These are all friends of ours. You look beautiful and I know they will be as taken with you as I am."

Bella glanced up at her husband, a grateful look on her face. She nodded her head and allowed him to escort her into the ballroom, where Jasper introduced her to a man in uniform. "Bella, this is General George Washington. General, this is my wife, Bella."

The general took Bella's hand and lifted it to his lips. "Mrs. Whitlock, I am very pleased to meet you."

Bella nodded her head in his direction. "General, it's nice to meet you. Please call me Bella. This is my very best friend, Alice Brandon."

The general smiled and bowed at the waist. "Miss Brandon, pleased to meet you."

Alice giggled. "It's Alice, General and it's nice to meet you too."

Jasper leaned down and murmured in Bella's ear. "I've got to discuss some things with the General. Will you be ok here with Alice?"

Bella nodded her head. "I see Esme, so Alice and I will just go talk to her. We'll be ok."

Jasper gave her a light kiss and turned to the general. "General?"

Bella watched as the two men walked away. She looked at Alice and smiled. Her best friend was bouncing on her toes, not bothering to hide her attempts at checking out all the beautiful gowns. "Come on, Alice. Let's grab something to drink and go see Esme.

On their way, they were stopped by a tall woman with flaming red hair. "Mrs. Whitlock? Hello, I wanted to introduce myself to you. My name is Victoria."

Bella couldn't help but stare at the woman's hair. It was the reddest hair she had ever seen. She suddenly remembered her manners. "Hello, it's nice to meet you. Please call me Bella. This is Alice."

Alice started to speak but Victoria interrupted her. "What part of England did you come from? I am missing my homeland and would love to get to know you."

Bella immediately tensed and was on guard. She glanced at Alice, who shrugged her shoulders. Bella rolled her eyes at the non-help her best friend was giving her. "It's such a small town. I'm sure you probably have never heard of it. Anyway, it was nice meeting you." She grabbed Alice's hand and dragged her away from Victoria. "Thanks for the help," she hissed.

"Did you hear the way that bitch interrupted me? She didn't even let me talk. And what's up with that gown she had on? It completely clashed with that red mop she calls hair," Alice grumbled.

Once again, Bella rolled her eyes. Leave it to Alice to be more concerned about a woman's appearance than her own well-being. "Come on, let's go see Esme."

While Esme introduced the young women to the other guests, Jasper was having a heartfelt discussion with the general. He handed the general a cigar and they both lit up.

"Jasper, is there something you want to talk to me about?" the general asked.

Jasper nodded. "Yes, I just wanted to let you know that I won't be going on anymore raids. I've got a wife and a child on the way now and I can't take the risk of not being here for them. I really hate to do this to you, but I have to put my family first."

The general put his arm around Jasper's shoulders. "Captain, you have done an excellent job for our cause. I know my men and I appreciate everything you have done for us so far. Don't think another thing about it and concentrate on that beautiful wife of yours."

Jasper let out a breath of relief. He truly hated to stop the raiding, but he knew that Bella needed him with her. "Thank you, General. If there's anything I can do from here, please don't hesitate to ask. You know I believe in everything you're trying to do."

"I know, son. You'll be the first person I come to."

The two men strolled back into the ballroom, Jasper's eyes immediately searching for his wife. He smiled when dark brown eyes locked in with his. He walked quickly to her side, putting his arm around her waist. "Everything ok?" he asked.

"Well, well, well. So this is the child that has captivated Jasper's attention."

Jasper's body tensed up as he tightened his hold around Bella's waist. He slowly spun them around and Bella felt all her insecurities bubble to the surface as she stared into the black eyes of a very beautiful woman. She was several inches taller than Bella and had a voluptuous body. Her skin had an olive tint, her black eyes slightly slanting at the corners. Her red full lips were curled up in a fake smile.

"Maria, what are you doing here? I didn't realize that Carlisle and Esme had invited you." Jasper's jaws were clenched tightly in anger and Bella reached up to caress his cheek with her hand. He glanced down to look into her face and smiled although it didn't reach his eyes. He kissed the top of her head, inhaling her soothing scent, and turned back to face Maria. He stared at the woman he had once loved and shook his head, nothing about her appealed to him now. She couldn't compare with his Bella. "Well?"

Maria's eyes narrowed as she took in the loving exchange between Jasper and Bella. She quickly recovered and fluttered her eyelashes at him. "I heard about this party and figured my invitation had gotten lost since I didn't hear from anyone." She looked Bella up and down, giving her a wide grin. "Where in the world did you find that gown? Don't tell me Jasper has gotten cheap, he never had a problem spending money on me."

Bella heard a gasp behind her and knew her family had rallied around. Knowing they were there gave her the courage she needed to stand up to Jasper's former fiancé. "Oh no, Maria…it was Maria, right? Jasper had this gown specially made for our wedding. I know it's one of his favorites," she leaned in and whispered, "he has a hard time keeping his hands off of me when I wear it." She smirked, giving Maria a wink. "As for being a child, I hardly think so since I'm carrying Jasper's baby." She caressed her abdomen, staring Maria in the eye.

Rage was written across Maria's face. She couldn't believe that this little slip of a girl had stolen what belonged to her. She decided to get at Bella from a different angle. "Ah, so it's a marriage of obligation. I'm surprised it hadn't happened already with how Jasper enjoyed the ladies. Of course that was before we got together."

Bella heard the growl beginning in Jasper's chest and gripped his arm before he could step forward. She slowly shook her head, this was her fight. "Just to set the story straight, Jasper asked me to marry him before he found out about the baby. As far as his past with the ladies, I already know about that and I'll have to admit that I'm glad. He gets to use all his experience pleasing me and Maria…he pleases me _all_ the time."

When Maria heard Emmett's boisterous laugh, she saw red. "You bitch! Jasper's mine!!" She raised her hand to slap Bella and was surprised when her hand was held in the air.

"That's enough!" Jasper snarled. "You will never, and I mean never, touch my Bella. You weren't invited; you're not a guest so I would advise you to leave before I throw you out. Do I make myself understood?"

Maria glanced around the room at the other guests, seeing all eyes were upon them. Their yelling had not gone unnoticed. She yanked her arm out of Jasper's grasp and smoothed down her hair. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the protective stance the family had towards Bella. She knew they had never liked, or approved of her. If anything, this knowledge made her hate Bella even more. She glared at the young woman before turning her eyes back to Jasper. "There's no reason to be so ungentlemanly, Jasper. Tsk, tsk. What would your parents think of you threatening a woman."

Emmett barely had time to grab Rosalie as she lunged at Maria. "You bitch! Don't you ever speak of my parents with your lying lips! Get out of here before I beat your ass! I'm not my brother, I won't stop at just grabbing your wrist."

"This isn't over, little girl," Maria growled at Bella before turning around and walking off. Bella's eyes widened in surprise when she saw Maria grab Victoria's hand before leaving the room.

Jasper gathered Bella in his arms, pulling her to his chest. "I'm so sorry you had to be a part of that, Bella. I had no idea she was going to be here. Are you ok?" He pressed his lips against her hair; once again thanking the Lord he had her in his life.

Bella looked up and gazed into Jasper's eyes. She could see the worried expression he had on his face. She gently placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm fine, my love. Are _you_ ok?"

A chuckle was her answer. "You did great! I am so proud of you. Not many women, or men for that matter, have the guts to stand up to Maria." There was pride in his eyes. His beautiful wife never seemed to fail to amaze him.

Emmett grabbed Bella out of Jasper's arms and swung her around. "Oh little sister! You were great! You really put her in her place," he laughed.

When he set her back down on her feet, Bella felt her face turning red. "Well, I couldn't let her think she had any chance with my husband. I'm a very possessive person." She turned to Jasper. "Do you know that red-headed woman she left with?"

Jasper shook his head. "I didn't even notice her. Why?"

"She was asking me where I was from. It made me uncomfortable," she answered.

Jasper turned his head slightly to Edward. He knew Edward understood when he saw his head nod. Maria could be one vindictive bitch and he wouldn't put anything past her. They would have to keep an eye on her.

"She was a total bitch," Alice piped in.

"Alice, language!" Esme cut in. She was frowning, but the twinkle in her eyes told the truth.

"Sorry," Alice giggled, not one bit sorry.

**A/N and so there it is…what did you think about the showdown between maria and bella? let me know!**

**I have entered the Jasper's Naughty Girls "Best Domination Ever" contest with two one-shots. Voting ends May 9****th****. Go check out all the stories and vote!!! The link is on my profile, or you can go to www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/~bestdominationevercontest**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N I am so sorry for the epic delay in getting this chapter out. I just couldn't decide how I wanted to end it…still not happy with it, but I figured I needed to get this out there before you guys forgot all about my little story.**

**Once again…thanks so much to everyone who reads, reviews and/or adds me and this story to their favs! It truly means so much to me!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**Previously**

_Jasper turned his head slightly to Edward. He knew Edward understood when he saw his head nod. Maria could be one vindictive bitch and he wouldn't put anything past her. They would have to keep an eye on her._

"_She was a total bitch," Alice piped in._

"_Alice, language!" Esme cut in. She was frowning, but the twinkle in her eyes told the truth. _

"_Sorry," Alice giggled, not one bit sorry._

"Come on Bella! We're going to be late! Mrs. Thornton said that she wanted me to be at her house by noon. I've got to fit her and her daughter for the coming out party they're going to be having." Alice rushed around the room, trying to get Bella to move a little faster. With the help from Esme and Rosalie, her gowns were sought after by many of the ladies.

Bella smoothed down the front of her dress. It was an Alice original and one that she loved. Even though her pregnancy was showing, the gown did a good job of concealing it. "Ok Alice, let's go. Jasper said that he would have the carriage ready for us. I don't want to stay too long though, ok?" She gave Alice a pleading look.

Alice laughed. "That's fine," she said as she looped her arm through Bella's and pulled her towards the door. She let out a sigh of relief when she spotted the carriage Jasper had arranged before he went to visit the Quiluetes. She ran out to it and opened the door, bowing at the waist. "After you, my dear." Bella laughed as she climbed in and held out the lap blanket for Alice, who wasted no time getting settled in.

As the carriage took off, Alice turned to her best friend with a twinkle in her eye. Bella recognized the look, seeing it many times when Alice had a juicy tidbit of gossip to share. "What's going on, Alice? I know that look."

Alice giggled. "Well, Bella. Last night Edward came over for dinner…" she started.

Bella couldn't help but roll her eyes. Alice always had a flair for the dramatics. "And?"

"Well…after dinner, Edward asked me if I wanted to go outside for a breath of fresh air. Of course I said yes. Esme had the most beautiful gardens. Anyway, !"

Bella stared at Alice. "Please repeat that, only a bit slower this time."

Alice clasped her hands and placed them in her lap. "Edward and I were walking through the garden, admiring the beautiful flowers. He stopped us in front of the rose bushes. You know the white roses? Anyway, he put his hands on my shoulders and slowly leaned down to kiss me! It wasn't just a peck on the lips either. No, it was a full, part your lips, insert tongue kind of kiss. I almost swooned right there in his arms."

Bella threw her arms around Alice. "I am so happy for you!" All at once she pushed back and gazed into Alice's eyes. "You are happy about this, right?" When Alice nodded her head, Bella pulled her back into her arms. "So what happened then?"

Alice sat back against the cushion and began picking at her fingernails. Bella smirked as she recognized the sign that Alice was nervous. "Alice? What's the problem?"

A deep sigh was her answer. Alice wrapped her arms around her body and closed her eyes. "Oh Bella, it was beautiful. Edward had a blanket already set out and we made love surrounded by the fragrance of roses. It was the most romantic setting I have ever seen."

Bella thought about the first time she and Jasper had made love by the waterfall. She knew exactly how Alice felt. Alice didn't say anything else, just kept her eyes closed and a smile on her lips. Bella was happy for her best friend and hoped that everything worked out. She wanted Alice to be just as happy as she was. Unconsciously she rubbed her belly.

All of a sudden, a gunshot rang out in the air and the carriage came to a complete stop. Both girls stared at each other before Bella yelled out the window. "Henry? What's going on?" When she got no answer, she slowly opened the door. She gasped in surprise when she spied three riders with bandanas on their faces and Henry laying on the ground, blood seeping from a wound in his head. She knew they were on their own and choked back a sob.

Suddenly Bella remembered the false floor in the carriage from when they transported the gold off of the ship. She quickly moved the carpet and opened the trap door. "Alice, you've got to hide! No matter what happens, stay in there. If something does happen, go find Jasper. Hurry!"

Alice started to argue with her. "No Bella! I'm not going to let you face them by yourself!" Tears were streaming down her face.

"Look Alice, we don't have time to argue about this. I'll offer them what jewels and money I have. Hopefully that's all they're after. Please do what I say!" Bella was begging her best friend. She gave Alice a quick hug and pushed her down into the hole.

Bella had just covered the hidden compartment when the carriage door was yanked open. She backed as far as she could into the corner of the seat when a masked man poked his face in the door.

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?" he asked in an English accent.

Bella began pulling off her jewelry, pushing the wedding bracelet up on her arm. She would die first before she surrendered that piece. "Please, I've got jewelry and money, just take it and go," she pleaded.

Her heart sank when the man gave an evil chuckle. "Oh no, Lady Swan. It's not money or jewelry I'm after. Did you really think you could escape me?" He reached in and pulled Bella's struggling body out the door.

Bella stared at him with wide eyes. Lord Breighton had found her and was going to force her to go with him. "No, I won't go!" she cried, still trying to get out of the man's grip.

"Isabella, there's no use in fighting." He reached out to wipe the tears that were falling down her face but Bella swatted his hand away. He grabbed her wrist and squeezed. "Don't ever hit me!" he roared as he dragged her to his horse. "Now, you can either get on the damn horse by yourself, or I can tie you up and toss you on there."

For a second, Bella thought about testing the man but then realized that not only did she need to protect herself, she had her baby and Alice to think about. She jerked her hand out of his tight grip and, with one last look at the carriage, she placed her foot in the stirrup and hoisted herself up. She cringed when he sat behind her and wrapped one arm around her waist. "Where are you taking me?" she asked, her voice quivering.

The masked man leaned up and murmured in her ear, "We'll be heading back to England. I paid a heavy price for you and I intend on fulfilling that debt."

Bella's face whipped around. "Lord Breighton? I will not return to England!" she yelled. When he merely nodded his head, tears began streaming down her face. She could only hope that Alice heard her. Bella knew that Jasper would stop at nothing to find her. She said a silent prayer as they all rode off, leaving the carriage and her best friend.

Alice couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips when she heard who had taken Bella. She waited for what seemed like hours, listening for any noise that might signal someone was still outside. She slowly opened the trap door and raised her head. Knowing that time was of an essence, she climbed out of the hole and took a peek out the carriage window. When she was sure that everyone was gone, she quickly jumped out the door and fell to her knees. Everything hit her at once and she knew for sure that Bella was in trouble. She opened her eyes and started crying when she saw Bella's bracelet laying on the ground. She picked it up and held it to her lips. She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer before placing it on her wrist. She hurriedly untied a horse from the carriage and climbed on, using the driver's seat to mount the horse. She gathered the reins in her hands and quickly urged the horse to a gallop. She headed toward the Quileute's reservation, leaving a cloud of dust behind her. She pushed her horse as fast as he could go until she saw Jasper, Edward and Jacob standing around a corral of horses. She stopped in front of them, tears streaming down her face.

Panic filled Jasper's body as he took in the distraught expression on Alice's face. He quickly reached out and grabbed the bridle on the horse. "Alice? Where's Bella?"

Alice slipped off the horse into Edward's waiting arms. "Sweetie, what happened? Where's Bella?" he asked.

"He…he took her!" she moaned, her face buried in Edward's chest. "They shot Henry and took her! Bella made me hide in the secret compartment and once I was sure they were gone, I unhitched one of the horses. The carriage is still there."

Jasper's face paled. He put his hands on Alice's shoulders and spun her around to face him. "Who took her, Alice?" When she wouldn't stop her moaning, he shook her. "Answer me! Who took her?" he yelled.

Edward pushed Jasper away. "Jasper! Stop it!" he said angrily. When he saw the lost look in his eyes, he softened his voice. "We'll find her, Jas." He turned back to Alice. He placed his hand under her chin and gently lifted until their eyes met. "Alice, do you know who took her?"

Alice stared into Edward's eyes and nodded her head. "Lord Breighton," she whispered.

Jasper felt his stomach drop. He was suddenly very afraid for his wife. He sank down to the ground and tried to get his thoughts together. He could hear Alice's sobs, Edward trying to console her and Jacob yelling at his men. Bella's beautiful brown eyes swam before his own and he knew that he had to act quickly before Breighton got too far ahead.

Jasper rose to his feet and faced his best friend. "Edward, can you take Alice home and let everyone know what has happened? Grab all the men you can find and wait at your house." When he nodded, Jasper turned to Jacob. "Can you gather your scouts and come with me? I want to track down the bastard that took my wife."

Jacob put his arm across Jasper's shoulders. "Of course, my brother. You know Bella means a lot to me too. We **will** find her. My men are the best."

"Thank you," Jasper murmured. _Quit being a pussy, Whitlock! Your wife needs you and is depending on you to save her! _ He straightened his shoulders and stood tall. "Let's go."

**A/N Please review and let me know what you think. I'll be hiding under my bed! ;-)**

****just a little note to let you guys know that the Darlin's have asked me to be a part of their Facebook venture! I'm rec'ing stories on the discussion board so come on over and check it out! The link is on my profile****


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N Sorry about the long wait. I just couldn't decide how I wanted to write this. I don't know if you guys know this, but I'm truly writing this by the seat of my pants! Lol Anyway, thanks for sticking with me! **

**Disclaimer: don't own a thing…**

_Jacob put his arm across Jasper's shoulders. "Of course, my brother. You know Bella means a lot to me too. We __**will**__ find her. My men are the best."_

"_Thank you," Jasper murmured. Quit being a pussy, Whitlock! Your wife needs you and is depending on you to save her! He straightened his shoulders and stood tall. "Let's go."_

Bella wasn't for sure how long they had been riding, just that her body was aching something fierce. She kept one hand pressed against her belly, hoping that the jarring from the horse's long strides wouldn't hurt her baby or throw her into an early labor. James held a rifle across her body underneath her breasts as if he were afraid she would jump off the horse. She could only hope and pray that Alice had heard everything and made it to Jasper. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes as the hopelessness seemed to drown her. Her eyes were closed trying to keep the tears at bay but shot open when she felt his lips on her neck. She tried to pull away, but almost lost her breath when the rifle tightened on her body.

"Isabella, you are mine and the sooner you accept that fact, the easier this will be on you," James murmured in her ear.

"Please just let me go! I swear I won't tell anyone it was you!" she begged.

Bella felt his chest move as he laughed at her. "Sweet Isabella, you aren't going anywhere except with me. We're almost there so I'm going to warn you one more time…keep your head down and your mouth shut."

She looked out in the distance and couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the ocean. She could see the ships floating out in the water. The closer they got, the worse her fear grew. It was with a sinking feeling that she realized Jasper wasn't going to reach her in time.

When they reached the port, James had to drag Bella down from the horse. When her legs buckled underneath her, he swooped her up in his arms and chuckled. "I knew you couldn't wait to be in my arms." Hearing this, Bella began to struggle. "Feisty, just the way I like my women," he sneered as he pulled her tighter to his body, laughing when she instantly stilled.

Lord Breighton reached behind his head and pulled the bandana off. Bella glanced at him and had to swallow the bile that rose in her throat. She was staring at the blonde, blue-eyed monster from her dreams. "No…it can't be! It's you!" she gasped as she felt the darkness overtake her mind.

When Bella woke up, she looked around the room in confusion. She tried to remember where she was and how she got there. Then the memories came crashing down on her. Lord Breighton was the man in her nightmares! She couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. She had dismissed the dreams as just that…dreams. How she wished she had told Jasper about them. Now it was too late. A chuckle brought her out of her thoughts and she glanced around the room. To say she was shocked when she spied Maria sitting in a chair across the room would've been an understatement. She jumped to her feet and glared at the woman.

"What the hell are you doing here, Maria?"

Maria sat back in her chair and crossed her legs nonchalantly. She giggled and Bella felt the hairs on her neck stand straight up. She knew what was going to come out of Maria's mouth wasn't going to be pretty.

"Well, Isabella…to begin with, I couldn't stand the thought of my dear friend James being so heartbroken when his intended bride didn't show up so I had to do what I could to help him."

Bella's mouth dropped. Maria was in cahoots with James? It had to be more than a coincidence. "How do you know him?"

Maria studied her fingernails and took her time in answering. Bella wanted to pull her black hair out by the roots. "Do you remember my friend Victoria?" At Bella's nod, she continued. "James is her oldest brother. I've known them for a long time. Victoria recognized you from a painting James has and got a message to him that you were married to Jasper."

"A p-painting of me?" Bella couldn't believe her ears. This was getting stranger by the minute and she was sure it wasn't going to stop any time soon.

Maria was staring at Bella and didn't seem to hear her question. Finally she opened her mouth. "When is the baby due?"

It was Bella's turn to stare at the other woman. Her body filled with dread when she thought about her due date. If they were headed for England, she would be having the baby on the ship. She felt like the grip on her sanity was slipping. "Get out," she seethed between clenched teeth.

"You know, except for your pale skin we have the same traits. Even if the baby does favor you, it wouldn't be hard to pass it off as my own child," Maria said as if talking to herself.

Bella's eyes widened in shock. "You're delusional if you think you're going to get your hands on my baby. I'll kill you first! Now get out!"

Maria smirked at her and stood to her feet. "We'll see," she sneered as she left the room.

Bella lay in the bed, sobbing. She heard James give the order to push out and she cried harder. She was so lost in her tears she didn't hear him enter the room. She quickly wiped her face and sat up. "Why are you going through all this trouble? I'm sure there are a lot of other women who would want to be with you. Why me?"

James pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down facing Bella. He rubbed his fingers on his chin, as if pondering what he was going to say and stared her in the eyes. "Well, Isabella. Let's just say that I did a favor for your father years ago and you were the payoff." He smirked when he saw the puzzled look on her face. "What do you know of Jasper Whitlock's family?"

Bella gazed into his cold, hard blue eyes and wondered where he was going with his question. She knew the only way to find out was to play his game. "There's Jasper and his twin, Rosalie. Their parents were murdered years ago."

James leaned up to push the hair out of Bella's face, his eyes turning to slits when Bella flinched. "And that's where you come into the story."

Bella thought about the night Jasper told her about his parents being murdered and then she remembered him telling her how James had been persistent in trying to buy the Whitlock land. What did she have to do with anything? She didn't even know any of them existed. She shook her head. "I don't understand."

James leaned back in the chair and placed his feet on the bed. "Lord Swan was always wanting to fatten his purse strings and knew the Colonies would provide him with riches. The Whitlock plantation is situated near the coast and was perfect for what he was planning. He dispatched a letter to me, requesting that I do what I could to persuade them to sell their property to him. What your father didn't count on was how stubborn they were. No amount of money could buy the land."

Bella felt like she was living in a nightmare. The thought that her father was behind Jasper's parents being killed brought the bile up in her throat. "N-no…my father couldn't be that heartless. I don't believe you," she whispered.

James snorted. "Your father was a weak man. He expected me to do his dirty work for him but when he found out how far I was willing to go, he backed down. The only reassurance I had was the letter he had sent me. It implicated him as a co-conspirator so I used it to get what I wanted." He closed his eyes and an evil smirk crossed his face.

Bella took a deep breath and clenched her hands into fists to keep them from shaking. "And that's where I came into the picture."

James opened one eye and nodded. "You would be correct. I first saw you when you were a little girl and knew I had to have you, such a beautiful child. Of course I had to wait until you were of age."

That was all it took. Bella felt the meager contents of her stomach starting to rise and knew she was going to throw up. She jumped from the bed and ran to a bowl sitting on a dresser. She heaved until her stomach hurt and once she emptied it, she wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her dress. She considered running out of the room and throwing herself over the side of the ship, but she knew she couldn't hurt her unborn child. She glanced over at James and was mortified to see that he was grinning at her. She sat on the floor and pulled her legs up to her chest, making sure her dress covered her skin. She wrapped her arms around her knees and decided that she would think about her father and his role in Jasper's parents later. There was one thing she didn't understand and knew James had the answer. "How is Maria connected to all of this?" she asked.

A look of anger crossed James's face. "That whore! All she had to do was marry Jasper and then I could've taken care of him. Everything would've been hers to sell to your father, but the bitch couldn't keep her mouth or legs shut! I decided to wash my hands of the whole deal and just collect what was owed to me. Imagine my surprise when I found out that you were married to the man, not only married but pregnant with his child."

James stood up and began pacing in front of Bella. He began running his hand through his hair and mumbling to himself. She was afraid to interrupt him, afraid of what he would say or do. Finally he stopped and whirled around to face her. "I'll wait until you deliver the baby and then decide what I'll do with it. Maria has begged for me to give it to her, so that's a possibility."

Bella's face turned pale. She couldn't believe that her father's greed had led to this. "You're crazy! Do you think that I'll just sit back and go along with that? There's no way I'm going to stay with you! I don't care what kind of deal you had with my father!" she screamed at him.

James made it over to her in three long strides. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to her feet. He gripped her neck and pulled her close to him. "Don't be a stupid bitch, Isabella. Do you really think I'd trust you or the Whitlocks to take you back to England? I've got a house in the West Indies and that's where we're headed. Don't push me too far, you won't like the consequences. It's bad enough that you've spread your legs for him! Maybe I should claim you myself?" he hissed in her ear.

Bella stopped breathing. Her biggest fear was about to come true. James was going to rape her and possibly hurt her child. Tears streamed down her face and sobs shook her body. "Please James," she begged. "Please don't. I won't give you any problems, I promise!"

James seemed to relax, enjoying watching Bella lose her composure. He ran his nose along the side of her face. He pulled back and tilted his head. "Ahh Isabella. How I love to hear you beg. Don't worry, I don't enjoy fucking a fat woman. We'll wait until you deliver your bastard child and then I will make you mine. That's my promise to you."

Bella let out the air that she had been holding. She was about to reply to James but all of a sudden she could hear yelling out on the deck. Maria ran into the room, her eyes wide with fright.

"James, you better get out there! We've got company…"

**A/N there you go…answers to questions. I'm thinking there's one more chapter to go and then the epilogue. I've got the next chapter already started so it shouldn't take as long to get it posted. Please let me know what you think?**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N I am so sorry for the long wait! I'm not going to waste your time with excuses…**

**Many thanks to a great friend for his help with this chapter!**

_Bella let out the air that she had been holding. She was about to reply to James but all of a sudden she could hear yelling out on the deck. Maria ran into the room, her eyes wide with fright._

"_James, you better get out there! We've got company…" _

"Gertie? You here, hon?"

Bella heard a man's voice calling out frantically. She turned to James and had to hide the grin on her face when she saw the scowl on his. She knew he was trying to make a quick getaway and this man was holding him up. She gasped when James grabbed her arm and dragged her to the door.

"You are my fiancé if anyone asks and don't forget it. Get out of line and your whole family will suffer for it, I promise," he whispered to her before leading her out on deck.

Bella glanced around and noticed a man looking furtively around the ship. It didn't escape her attention at how his eyes rested on her for a second before continuing. There was another man with a Sheriff's badge standing next to him, resting his hand on the man's shoulder as if to hold him in place.

The sheriff whispered something in the man's ear and waited until he nodded before walking up to James. "Lord Breighton? This gentleman is looking for his wife and thought she might be hiding here on your ship. We would appreciate your permission to search it."

Bella couldn't help but feel James's body stiffen. "I don't think that's necessary, sir. My men have been on board for the last twenty-four hours and I can assure you that we have no stowaways."

They were all surprised when the man started yelling again. "Gertie sweetie! I'm sorry for drinking all night! I promise it won't happen again, just please come home with me. Think of Cletus and Billy Bob! They need their ma." The man started running across the deck, searching in as many places as he could.

"I told you that your wife was not on board! I would appreciate it if you would get off my ship. I am taking my fiancé back home so she can take care of her sick father!" James snarled, grabbing at the man's arm as he passed by.

The man seemed to deflate at James's words. His shoulders hunched over and he raised a hand to his face, as if wiping a tear. "I'm sorry sir. I've been looking for my Gertie all day and can't seem to find her anywhere. She had threatened me before that she would leave the next time I got drunk but I didn't believe her."

"Yes, well…" James gave the man's shoulder an awkward pat, "I hope you find her, but we really must be on our way." He turned to see the plank that connected his ship to another. "If you gentlemen will follow me…" he said as he started toward it.

The man turned toward Bella and grabbed her hand. He bowed as he raised it to his lips. "I'm sorry for interrupting your trip, ma'am. I hope you have a safe journey."

Bella was flabbergasted as the man gave her a smile and winked. She felt something in her hand and fisted it into the folds of her dress. She watched him as he walked the plank to land on the other ship. She was dying of curiosity to see what he had pressed into her hand and hurried to her room, ignoring the stares coming from Maria. "I think I'm going to be sick," she murmured as she passed the woman, knowing she would have some privacy as long as everyone thought she was throwing up.

Once she entered her cabin, she slammed the door and leaned against it. She slowly opened her fist and stared at the piece of paper in her hand. She held her breath as she opened it and felt a tear escape when she read what was written on it.

_**Soon darlin'. Take care of my heart.**_

_**JW**_

Bella quickly tucked the note inside her bodice and rushed to her bed. She crawled under the blankets and sobbed. This time the tears she shed weren't tears of misery. She gently began massaging her abdomen. "Soon, baby. Daddy's going to be coming for us. Everything's going to be alright." She closed her eyes and allowed her body to relax. For the first time since she had been kidnapped, she felt hope fill her soul. The gentle rocking of the ship soothed her nerves and she found herself drifting off to sleep.

Hours later, Bella woke with a start. She quickly sat up and gazed around the cabin, sucking in a hard breath when she saw Victoria standing in a corner.

"What are you doing in here?" Bella asked. She hated that she could hear the nervousness in her own voice and hoped the red-head hadn't noticed.

"You know you're like a prize to James, don't you?" Victoria answered back, slowly nearing the bed. "I've asked him over and over why you were so important that he would risk everything we gained in the colonies. Do you know what his answer was?" she asked and then answered her own question. "Of course you don't. Well, he told me that he had lost face when he couldn't force the Whitlock's to sell their land to him and to lose you to the same family was unthinkable. Even as kids, James always had to have the best, be the best. He didn't take being told no very nicely either. Of course, there aren't too many witnesses left who can attest to that." Victoria threw back her head and laughed. Bella winced as the maniacal sound grated her nerves. All of a sudden Victoria snapped her mouth shut and glanced around. She leaned forward and whispered, "James isn't going to marry you, you know. I think the words he used were 'used goods' but don't worry. As long as he can get pleasure out of you, he'll keep you."

As Victoria settled into a chair, Bella decided to just keep her mouth shut and let the woman ramble on. She hoped that, in case Jasper couldn't rescue her, James's sister would reveal anything she could use to escape. To Victoria, she nodded her head to let the woman know she was listening.

"I didn't want to leave! I argued with James and Maria but it was two against one and I lost. Like James, I hate losing! If you hadn't of showed up, I'd still be enjoying my life," Victoria snarled at her.

Bella couldn't believe the gall of Victoria! She felt the rage she couldn't show James build up and settled on second best. She leaned up so her face was in Victoria's. "Listen! I didn't want to leave either! I have a husband and a baby on the way. Do you think I…"

Suddenly James busted through Bella's door and pulled her off the bed, dragging her out through the broken wood. "Follow us, Vicki," was all he would say.

"W-what's going on?" Bella stuttered. When he didn't answer, she tried to stop but he just tightened his grip and yanked her forward. If he hadn't of had such a tight hold on her, she would've tripped. She looked around the deck of the ship, her eyes wildly scanning from one end to the other. Finally a ship headed their way caught her eye. Hope surged through her body at the thought that Jasper was coming to rescue her.

"Don't even think about Whitlock saving you! I'll kill him first!" James sneered at her. He opened the door that led to the hold below and pushed her towards it. "Get in there and don't make a sound," he snarled. He turned to face Victoria. "Guard her. If anything happens to her, your life is forfeit."

While Victoria herded her through the door, Bella was lost in the feeling of déjà vu. Once again she was hiding in the hold of a ship, waiting for it to be attacked. Only this time she welcomed it. Anything would be better than being James's mistress, not to mention Maria taking off with her baby. She found a chest in the far corner and sat down. She could picture Jasper, in his tight breeches and flowing shirt, coming down the steps. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ship shuddering. She knew from experience that the other ship had rammed into James's ship.

Bella heard the door creak open and stole a glance. She about fell to her knees in relief when she saw a familiar head of hair peek around the door sill. Victoria had her back to the door and was too caught up in her own murderous thoughts towards James and Bella to notice their new arrival.

Alice quietly walked up behind Victoria and in a flash, had a knife pressed against her back. "Make one sound and you die."

"What the…" Victoria started to say as she tried to twist around.

Alice didn't waste any time and plunged the knife into Victoria's body. With a flick of her wrist, the red head fell to the floor, blood spurting out of the deadly wound. "You really should have listened to me," was all Alice said before swiping the blade across her pant leg to erase the blood and sheathing the knife between the material and a leather strap around her leg.

"Alice?" Bella mumbled. She couldn't believe that her best friend was standing in front of her. Did she not realize how much danger she was in? She reached out and Alice fell into her arms. "Alice, what are you doing here? I can't believe Jasper let you come."

"Bella, we don't have time right now for me to answer your questions, you need to take this." Alice pulled away and pulled a leather bag off of her shoulder. "I don't know if anyone noticed me coming down here so we need to hurry." She pulled out a pair of breeches and a shirt, handing them to Bella. "Put these on. They belong to Jacob but they should be ok."

Bella took the clothes and quickly changed. She was glad to see that she wasn't falling out of the shirt like she did the last time she changed into a man's shirt. When she looked into Alice's face and saw the smirk, she knew her best friend was thinking the same thing.

"Here, take this too," Alice said as she pulled a knife out of the bag and pressed into Bella's hand.

Bella passed the knife from one hand to the other. It had been such a long time since she had held one, it almost felt foreign. She let it slip to her side as she reached out with her other hand to grab Alice's arm.

"Alice, you killed her." Bella couldn't take her eyes off of the blood pooling around Victoria's body.

"Of course I did. This was a do or die situation and neither you or I was going to be the one to die," Alice stated matter-of-factly. "Just remember that when we walk out the door. We're going to try to sneak over to Jasper's ship, but if we're spotted, just remember what I said. It's us or them, ok?" Alice stared into Bella's eyes and waited until Bella nodded her head before taking wrapping her arm around her. "Let's go."

The two women walked up the steps and turned to each other. Bella slowly opened the door and peeked out to witness the carnage that was occurring on the deck. Her heart dropped when she saw Jasper and James slowly circling each other with swords drawn. Jasper quickly lunged forward and narrowly missed James, who had twisted his body out of the way. Spinning around, James swung wildly at Jasper, causing a big rip in his shirt. Bella raised her fist to her mouth and bit down on her knuckle to keep from screaming when she saw the blood forming. The last thing she wanted to do was to draw Jasper's attention away from where it needed to be.

The two men bobbed and weaved, each trying to avoid the other's blade of death. Finally Jasper had James backed up to the railing with nowhere to go. Bella could see James yelling at Jasper, but with all the noise around her, she couldn't hear what he was saying.

"Maria!" Alice gasped and Bella's attention was drawn across the deck. Maria stood on the other side of the deck with a gun in her hand, pointed right at Jasper.

Before she had time to think, Bella lifted her hand and threw her knife. It seemed to fly in slow motion before hitting Maria in the neck. The woman dropped her gun and grabbed at the knife. She yanked it out before slowly falling to the ground, blood spurting from the artery.

"NO!" James screamed, staring at Maria's blood-soaked body.

James pushed Jasper back, causing him to trip over some ropes coiled on the deck. As Jasper hit the floor, James rushed to him with his sword high over his head. He brought the sword down but before he could make any kind of contact, Jasper thrust his sword up and impaled James in the chest. Jasper jumped to his feet and pushed James's collapsing body away. His eyes swept across the deck until they met Bella's.

Time seemed to stand still for the couple as they gazed into each other's eyes. A triumphant yell brought them out of their stupor and Jasper glanced around. The first person he spotted was Edward, who was standing with his fists up in the air.

"We did it!" he yelled.

Jasper noticed James's surviving crew huddled together on one side of the deck. They had lost their leader and knew their end was near. He sighed with relief when he saw injuries to his own men were minimal. He nodded at Edward before turning back to Bella, who was frozen in her place.

Bella was stunned. She had never seen anyone actually killed in front of her and in one day, she had witnessed three…one by her own hand. She shook those thoughts from her mind and focused in on her husband. Jasper had kept his word and come for her.

"Jasper," she whispered before she took off running, meeting him at the bottom of the steps. She was laughing and crying at the same time, but her tears couldn't blur the love and relief she saw in Jasper's eyes.

Jasper gently picked her up and swung her around. When he placed her back on her feet, he immediately began running his hands over her arms and back. When he was satisfied that she was unharmed, he pulled her into his chest and held her tight.

"Oh Bella, I was so afraid something was going to happen to you…I was so afraid," he murmured into her hair. He rested his forehead on hers and stared into the dark brown eyes he had fallen in love with.

Bella had her arms wrapped around Jasper's waist. She didn't care that he was covered in blood, James's blood. All she cared about was that her husband was holding her tightly in his arms. "Let's go home," she whispered.

**A/N I have already started on the next chapter so I promise it won't take as long to update. Will Cletus and Billy Bob get their ma back? Will their pa quit drinking? Stay tuned…lol**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N so sorry!**** I know there's no excuse good enough to explain the long wait for this update so I won't even try. I do appreciate the fact that you still have this fic on alert!**

"_Jasper," she whispered before she took off running, meeting him at the bottom of the steps. She was laughing and crying at the same time, but her tears couldn't blur the love and relief she saw in Jasper's eyes._

_Jasper gently picked her up and swung her around. When he placed her back on her feet, he immediately began running his hands over her arms and back. When he was satisfied that she was unharmed, he pulled her into his chest and held her tight._

"_Oh Bella, I was so afraid something was going to happen to you…I was so afraid," he murmured into her hair. He rested his forehead on hers and stared into the dark brown eyes he had fallen in love with._

_Bella had her arms wrapped around Jasper's waist. She didn't care that he was covered in blood, James's blood. All she cared about was that her husband was holding her tightly in his arms. "Let's go home," she whispered._

Jasper picked Bella up and crossed the bloody deck to where Edward was standing. "You know what to do," he told his second-in-command. When Edward nodded his head, Jasper turned to cross the plank to his ship with Alice following close behind. He set Bella down on her feet and watched as Edward gave orders for the men to go below and search for anything of value. Once everything was loaded on their ship, a few of his men overturned barrels of tar so the black ooze covered the deck. Their mission completed, the men took their turns at crossing the plank.

The atmosphere was solemn as Jasper's men put some distance between their ship and James's. Jasper pulled Bella closer to his side, wrapping both arms around her. He noticed her hands clenched around the railing, her knuckles turning white.

"Bella, why don't you and Alice go to our cabin while we take care of Breighton's ship?"

Bella shook her head. "I need to watch…" She turned to face Jasper. "Please?"

Jasper placed his hand on Bella's face and ran his thumb across her cheekbone. He stared into her eyes, watching them fill with tears. Although he wanted to protect her from what was going to happen, he knew she had to see for herself that they were free from the worry of James coming after her again. He nodded his head and leaning down, kissed each eyelid. When he pulled back, he tipped her chin up so she could see how serious he was.

"I'll agree with one condition. When it's done, you'll let me take you to our cabin and not argue." There was nothing Jasper wanted more than to be buried underneath the blankets on their bed, with Bella safely wrapped up in his arms.

Jasper could see the gratitude wash across Bella's face at his words. She stood on her tip-toes and pressed her lips against his. "Agreed. Thank you, love."

As Alice scooted closer to Bella, Jasper stood at her back with his arms wrapped around her, waiting for Jacob to give the signal. Once Jacob raised his hand in the air, Jasper watched as the Quileutes neared the railing of the ship. When he saw they were in position, Jacob dipped a piece of wood with a cloth wound around the end in a bucket of fire until the tip lit. He proudly held it out to Bella.

"Would you like to do the honors?" he asked, trying to control the smile that threatened to break across his face. When he saw the confused look Bella gave him, he continued. "We are too close to land to fire off the cannons, so to avoid any suspicion, we will use lit arrows. We would consider it an honor for you to light the first arrow." Jacob bowed as he held out the torch.

Bella took the torch and turned her head to place a kiss on Jasper's lips. She then walked over to Quil, who was standing at the end of the line. She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek and lit his arrow. She stepped backwards until she was back in Jasper's arms. They watched as one by one Jacob's men lit their arrows from the man to their right. Once every arrow had a ball of fire on its end, Jacob raised his hand.

Bella watched in fascination as each Quileute raised his bow and drew back. Jacob lowered his hand and a volley of fire flew across the ocean and landed on James's ship. Fire exploded across the deck and quickly consumed the ship, helped along by the black tar. Bella felt Alice's hand grab her own and turned to face her. She had to smile at the astonishment crossing Alice's face. For once Alice was as still as a statue and as quiet as a mouse.

Memories of her father's ship being fired upon crossed her mind but she shook those thoughts out of her head. Although there was loss of life on James's ship too, she couldn't and wouldn't feel bad about it. When it came down between her life with Jasper and the dying men, she'd pick Jasper every time. She could feel Jasper rubbing her stomach and felt a shudder run through her body. She remembered her father's part in the murder of Jasper's parents and hoped with everything in her that Jasper wouldn't hold her accountable for what had happened. She was afraid that her husband would feel differently towards her when he found out the truth.

Jasper felt Bella shiver and tightened his hold on her. He waited until the smoke coming from James's ship waned in the distance and then leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Are you ready to go to our cabin now?"

Bella slowly nodded her head turned to give Alice a hug. Out of the corner of her eye, a familiar man stood off to the side and she froze. Jasper followed her gaze and laughed.

"Bella, I'd like you to meet someone." Jasper waved to the man, who trotted over to his side. "Darlin', this is my cousin Peter. He just got into town and volunteered to check on you for me. I was pretty sure we had the right ship, but I had to be certain you were on it. Pete, this is…"

Peter gently grabbed Bella's hand and brought it up to his lips. Placing a kiss on her knuckles, he stared into her eyes. "You don't have to tell me who this vision of loveliness is, Jas. The memory of her dark, beautiful brown eyes is etched in my brain forever."

As politely as she could, Bella pulled her hand out of Peter's grip. She tilted her head and smiled. "Oh yes, I remember you. So tell me Pete, did Gertie feel sorry for you and take you back? Are you still fighting the urge to drink? And just how are Cletus and Billy Bob?"

Peter let out a wild whoop and wrapped Bella up in a tight hug. "Welcome to the family, darlin'! I think you'll fit right in with this ragtag team of no-gooders!" He set her down on her feet and continued, "There isn't a Gertie, Cletus or Billy Bob but there is a Charlotte and she is waiting to meet you. She's back at the house with Rose."

Bella shook her head and laughed. "I knew that story sounded too far-fetched!"

A look of sadness crossed Peter's face and he placed his hand over his heart. "Are you saying my acting skills are below par, madam? That hurts…"

Jasper rolled his eyes at his cousin's antics. "Ok Pete. We all bow down to your theatrical skills. Now if you don't mind, I want to take Bella to our cabin so we can clean up."

Amid all the hoots and hollering, Jasper steered an embarrassed Bella to their cabin. Once he shut the door behind them, he gathered her in his arms and held her close to him.

Although her father wasn't directly responsible for their deaths, she was afraid of what Jasper's reaction was going to be when she told him. When he started to unbutton her shirt, Bella placed her hands on his to stop him. "Jasper, wait. There's something I've got to tell you."

Jasper saw the fear in Bella's eyes and spoke softly. "Darlin, let's get out of these clothes and then you can tell me, ok?" After a few seconds, she agreed and he continued on his mission. Once he had her undressed, he led her to their bed and helped her into it. He stripped off his own clothes and joined her, pulling her into his arms. He wanted nothing more than to make love to his wife, but he wanted her mind clear.

Bella rested her head on his chest and her hand on his stomach, her fingers playing with the light dusting of hair below his navel. She tried to figure out the best way to tell him, but couldn't come up with anything that would lessen the blow. She felt his hand running through her hair and allowed his calmness to settle her fear. She was glad that Jasper gave her time to get her thoughts together. She decided to just tell him exactly what James had told her and hope for the best so she took a deep breath and slowly began the story. Tears of shame, embarrassment and sorrow streamed down her face as she told the man she loved about the connection between her father and James. She barely got the words out when she got to the part of his parent's deaths. "Please don't leave me," she mumbled.

When she was done, the following silence compounded her fear that Jasper would somehow blame her for her father's actions and send her away. When he didn't respond, she tried to pull away from his arms but he just held her tighter. She lifted her head to look in his face and was shocked to see the love shining from his tear-filled eyes.

"I always suspected Breighton had something to do with their murders but couldn't prove it. When we were fighting, he was taunting me with how it was going to be as easy to kill me as it was to kill them. I'm not ashamed to admit that I took extra pleasure in running my sword through him." Jasper wiped Bella's tears with his thumb. "Bella, although your father might have led the bastard on that trail, he did try to put a stop to it. You are not responsible for his actions just as your father isn't responsible for my parent's deaths. I hate what he did, but I believe that everything happens for a reason. We'll just keep his part in all of this to ourselves. No one else needs to know, ok?"

Bella let out a sob and pressed her lips to Jasper's. She didn't know if she would ever be able to forgive her father for his alliance with James, but like Jasper said, she never would have met the love of her life if that alliance had never been made. Her husband didn't blame her and that was all that mattered to her. How she had gotten so lucky to be captured by this wonderful man, she'd never know but would always be thankful.

**A/N thanks for reading! epilogue is next…**


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